Saturday, May 21, 2005

Starting a New Decade

I've decided that's how I'll think about turning 40, which I did last week. A new decade. Hopefully, one less eventful, drama-wise, than the last decade and more eventful, publishing-wise. If I didn't blather about it before, I have a manuscript under consideration at NEXT, a new line from Har/Sil. Publishing in lady lit is my dream, one so vivid I can almost reach out and touch it. Problem is, the publishing industry moves at a pace akin to tectonic plates. It envies snails their speed and maneuverability.

Meanwhile, in celebration of the start of my fourth decade, my friend Liz Carlyle threw me a party at her house and invited my favorite writer friends, including Sabrina Jeffries and Claudia Dain, as well as my pre-pubbed and very dear friends. My friends have cool websites, which I hope to have (and need) soon. Thinking far ahead, I nabbed my domain name (www.carencrane.com) early on. The plan was to use my maiden name as my writing name. Then, much to my dismay, my dear friend and web designing genius Liz Bemis told me she had recently done a site for a new Zebra author named Karen Crane. Right. Is that her actual name? Why no, it isn't.

Unfortunately for me, I've been bandying my hyphenated name around for the last few years. A few contest finals, posting to the RWA Chapter President's loop, and--voila--someone is using my name as her pseudonym. I thought I was doing myself a favor by splashing my name around before I was published. What it cost me was the use of my name. Fair? Not at all. Coincidental? I think not. Preventable? Only if you keep your name under tight wrap before you publish. Of course, if I'd been really smart, I would've nabbed www.karencrane.com while I was at it.

A decade older and a whole heck of a lot wiser. Writing is a tough business.

1 Comments:

At 11:03 AM , Blogger Liz Bemis said...

Happy HAPPY birtday. (What kind of friend am I not to have remembered? (The rotten lousy kind, obviously))

I'm thrilled to be called a web designing GENIUS, btw. Thanks so muchly. And in response to your comment in my blog, I've changed email accounts (and then rudely expected everyone to DEVINE this information without me telling them) at the same time my computer died a tragic death --and still isn't quite fixed. :'( (Feel free to email to my web site - liz@elizabethbemis.com and I'll actually get it)

Again, Happy Happy birthday!

 

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