NJ Author Ralph Greco, Jr. Speaks to Aspiring Writers

Ralph Greco, Jr., an author and musician with deep Jersey roots, visited Centenary University’s Newspaper Production Studio class on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026.  

Greco entertained the class by sharing his experiences as a freelance writer and offering advice on the craft of writing. He is the author of Writing Dirty Words, a memoir about his life as a writer and his exploration of various writing styles from children’s books to erotica.

“Anything that you do that you love is art,” said Greco. “Whatever the buzz - sci-fi, romance, features, fiction - write. Just write.” 

Writing Advice to Student-Journalists and Beyond

As the Newspaper Production Studio class is filled with aspiring, talented writers, Greco offered some advice. His main takeaways include the following:

“Always write for yourself,” said Greco. “Then you can figure out the marketing side.” 

You should always write what makes you happy because if you aren’t happy, there wouldn’t be any passion.

“Your art defines you and warms your heart,” said Greco. “It is whatever you are always thinking about doing.”

Once you get through the writing, you need to build your career. Greco suggests writers talk to people to get their work known. It is also important to remember not to burn your bridges. 

“Go Network! Get out and talk to people,” said Greco. 

Almost every single writer has experienced some type of writer's block. Even though Greco claims he has not experienced this personally, he provided some tips on how to deal with it. 

The first piece of advice from Greco is to get away from what you are trying to get done and give yourself a break from writing. 

“No matter how much desire for writing you have, how it might be your bread and butter, you need a break, as does anyone else doing any other job,” said Greco. 

Additionally, a writer might try to work on a totally different piece, read, and/or find a writer's support group. 

“When I speak to my good buddy Chris, I can unburden, as much as he can and does with me, the writing worries we have,” said Greco. 

One writers group that Greco highly recommended is Barnes & Noble, the American bookseller with over 700 retail stores in the US. The store is constantly filled with like-minded individuals. 

The last piece of advice to conquer writer’s block is to “just puke it out!” If you ever have an idea, just write it. 

For writers looking for work, Greco offered aspiring writers to check out: Patreon and DuoTrope.  

5 Red Flags When Looking for Writing Jobs

In class and his book, Greco talked about how freelance writers are always looking for writing jobs. So how do you figure out what is right for you? How do you avoid the trap of spending time, energy, and even money on an employer who is not going to pan out?

Greco provided some advice that he calls the "5 Red Flags to Look For When Searching for a Writing Job."

The first red flag is seeing the same ad for a job over and over again. This tends to be questionable as it could mean that the job is either fake or a scam. We writers must be careful! 

“If the same ad for freelance writing is posted from the same employer a few times a week, there might be a real good reason, and a red flag, why this position isn’t ever filled,” said Greco. 

The next red flag is when employers ask for specific examples, which is not always known as a red flag. In some cases, the boss could steal their work. 

The next two red flags deal with when the payment is unspecified, and the company takes forever to respond.

“If good communication does not matter to your possible employers, then it shouldn’t matter so much that you work for them,” said Greco.

The last red flag is when their secondary departments are not working well together. 

“I once began to work for a very large, well-known publication and when I tried to contact their accounting department on a minor matter, I never heard back from the publication’s payment office,” said Greco.

Even though so many of us aspiring writers are looking for jobs, not all jobs are for everyone or are even worth pursuing, according to Greco. 

Children’s Books, Songs, and Beyond

Greco’s main type of writing is children’s books. He is the author of the Echo City Capers series and The Ballad of Otto the Oak and is often found reading and singing to a group of “small fries” at his local Barnes & Noble. 

In addition to those children’s books, Greco writes everything from sourdough bread recipes to short stories to one-act plays to erotica. 

This got us thinking: how is he able to keep this separate in his head? 

“I have about 20 things open at once that I’m working on, so I jump around,” said Greco. “When writing for the children’s book, I keep it wry and silly and all that stuff, not any kind of erotica. I want to make sure that what I write for kids is for kids, so there is no cross-pollination.” 

Takeaways from CU’s Student Journalists

The students in Newspaper Production Studio loved hearing about Greco’s journey as a writer and his thoughtful advice for future writers. 

“Greco taught us to trust yourself and write what’s on your mind and to not worry about what others may think of your writing,” said Dominick Chiego, senior communication major. “Follow what you're passionate about and never stop looking for new opportunities in the job field. 

“I thoroughly enjoyed Ralph Greco’s presentation, largely because of his passion and variety,” said Tanner Sullivan, senior communication major with a minor in professional writing. “He provided great advice, including how to tackle a story when I may struggle to begin, as well as what to do when a story meanders or struggles to find a conclusion.”

“I learned that you can do anything with a dream and that many people are similar without even knowing it,” said Victoria Autocunas, junior social work major with a journalism minor.

Some students greatly enjoyed his one liners that caused laughter throughout the classroom. 

“It was interesting to hear from someone who writes the same way I do and just vomits out ideas without truly dealing with writer's block,” said Elizabeth May, sophomore writing major. 

If you want to learn more about the world of writing, email Ralph Greco, Jr. at ralphiedawriter@gmail.com. 

Also, check out Greco’s point of view on being a guest speaker for the Cyclone Chronicle in our Op-Ed section!