Ring, Victoria A. 1958–

PERSONAL: Born July 5, 1958, in Columbus, OH; daughter of James (a heavy equipment operator) and Barbara (a seamstress; maiden name, Wise) Ring. Ethnicity: "American." Education: Columbus Business University, A.S. (business management), 1986; Ash-worth College, A.S. (paralegal studies), 2001.

ADDRESSES: Office—50 State Notary, 1601 W. 5th Ave., Ste. 123, Columbus, OH 43212-2303. E-mail—victoria@ 50statenotary.com.

CAREER: Writer and business owner. Graphico Publishing, Columbus, OH, typesetter and designer, 1988–99; Fifty State Notary, Columbus, owner, 2001–. Lawyer Assistant, paralegal, 2000–03.

MEMBER: Small Publishers Association of North America, National Association of Women Writers, Authors and Publishers Association, Paralegal Association of Central Ohio (past member of board of directors), Columbus Bar Association (associate member), Columbus Christian Writer's Association (vice president).

WRITINGS:

How to Start, Operate, and Market a Freelance Notary Signing Agent Business, Graphico Publishing (Columbus, OH), 2004.

How to Start a Bankruptcy Forms Processing Service, Graphico Publishing (Columbus, OH), 2004.

My Homemade Business, Graphico Publishing (Columbus, OH), 2004.

Also author of Victoria's Booklets, 1990–96; Victoria's Reports, 1990–94; Victoria's E-books, 2001–; and Victoria's Special Reports for the Notary Public, 2004–.

WORK IN PROGRESS: How to Self-Publish Your Own Book and Kiss Your Publisher and Agent Goodbye; research on real estate topics pertaining to the training and professional development of notary signing agents nationwide.

SIDELIGHTS: Victoria A. Ring told CA: "I began writing at the age of five when my parents bought me a typewriter for Christmas. I used the typewriter to send letters to my relatives. By age eight, I began keeping a daily journal and continued the process until the age of twenty-five. Then, while working as a temporary office employee, I noticed that the majority of the office staff had trouble understanding user manuals for their software programs. I wrote a training booklet for nursing staff development at Ohio State University in 1991, and it became so popular that it was sold in the university bookstore. This accomplishment gave me the confidence I needed to get paid for my writing.

"In 1988, the department where I had worked full-time closed down, and I suddenly found myself without a job. Determined never to depend on an employer for support again, I developed my own company, Graphico Publishing. Graphico opened in 1988 and sold materials that I wrote and developed. Today my articles appear on hundreds of Internet Web sites and in my weekly newsletters. I have never experienced writer's block and consider writing to be as easy as breathing. My ideas for books and reports come from the feedback I receive from my customers. Once I find a need that people have, I research and find the answer, then either write a special report or book about the subject.

"Although I started getting paid for my writing when I developed Graphico Publishing in 1988, my materials were geared to the mail-order publishing industry at that time. Today my writing has changed to developing training materials and how-to books for attorneys, paralegals, and the notary public."