Michael Karol

Biography

Michael Karol is a freelance writer, editor, and copy editor who has worked in magazine publishing for more than 20 years. He has been listed in Who's Who in America since 1996.

Mr. Karol has a BA in Sociology, University of Pennsylvania (1975), and a Master of Science in Communications, Boston University College of Communications (1977).

He was Rhythm & Blues Editor of Pop Top magazine, The Record Buyer's Guide, in Boston from 1976-1978. Moving to New York, he became Assistant Editor of National Jeweler magazine at Gralla Publications in 1978. He was shortly promoted to Associate Editor of Gralla's Gift & Stationery Business magazine. He left the company in 1979 to take the position of Managing Editor at Modern Floor Coverings magazine (Charleson Publishing), where he was promoted to Editor-in-Chief in 1982. He spent 1988-1989 directing the redesign of the magazine (then owned by Thomson Retail Press) as it changed from tabloid to standard size and was renamed Floor Covering Business.

In 1990 he was tapped to be Managing Editor of Graphic Arts Monthly, the leading magazine in the printing/graphic arts fields. His position there involved extensive writing, including the award-winning column "How'd They Print That?," and producing and writing numerous special advertising sections, the longest of which folioed at 72 pages and brought in $1 million in revenue for the magazine. He joined Computer Shopper magazine -- the leading consumer magazine serving the direct-sale computer industry -- in August, 1996 as Copy Chief.

Mr. Karol has traveled extensively on behalf of various publications, throughout the United States and Canada, as well as France, England, Denmark, and Italy. He is computer-literate on both the Mac and PC operating systems, and works extensively in Microsoft Word and Excel, and with applications such as Quark Xpress and Adobe Photoshop. He has freelanced for a variety of publications, including Valley magazine (Los Angeles) and Masters of Rock, plus the trades Video Business, Oriental Rug Merchandiser (which he created), and the catalog Ethan Allen Interiors.

Mr. Karol's work has won many editorial and design awards, including the Neographics Silver award in 1981 and 1984, the Print magazine Regional Design Award in 1985 and 1988, and the Art Direction magazine award in 1987 and its Certificate of Distinction in 1992; the Art Director's Club 65th Annual Exhibition Merit Award in 1986; a 1992 Certificate of Merit from New York's Community Action Network (CAN) for his story about drugs in the workplace, "The Lows of Being High"; and Cahners Publishing's Editorial Medal of Excellence in 1996 for his column "How'd They Print That?" In addition, he was a finalist in the prestigious NEAL editorial awards in 1993 for "The Lows of Being High," and in 1996 for "How'd They Print That?" Most recently, Mr. Karol has created, designed, implemented, and maintained an award-winning website on the Internet, since April 1997.

Desert Island Picks

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John

The Hardline According to..., Terrence Trent D'arby

The Best of Johnny Mathis

Motown, The Singles 1959-1971

Tapestry, Carole King

Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack, Various Artists

Thriller, Michael Jackson

The White Album, The Beatles

Stoned Soul Picnic, The Best of Laura Nyro

The Best of Sam Cooke

Nick of Time, Bonnie Raitt

The Phil Spector Christmas Album

Holland, The Beach Boys

Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles

Hot Rocks, The Rolling Stones

Mutual Attraction, Sylvester

1999, Prince

Cheap Thrills, Big Brother and the Holding Company

Anthology, Donna Summer

Layla, Derek and the Dominos

There's a Riot Goin' On, Sly and the Family Stone

Best of Chic

Innervisions, Stevie Wonder

Greatest Hits, Al Green

The Harder They Come, Soundtrack, Rovi