The Way Back: Blog # 3, What’s in a Name
By Gammy L. Singer

What is in a name? I’m not asking just to be Shakespeare-rhetorical, but I’m seriously thinking about how or who should submit the synopsis and three chapters I’m working on.

My chapter of Sisters in Crime and I had Linda Fairstein as a speaker at our May meeting, and I was quite intrigued by bits of what she said. First, it was notable that even she, a best-selling author, harbors trepidations about the “next book”—whether it will sell well, etc., but I also picked up on her use of the “branding” term and how she definitely relates it to her “product.” It is not just a buzzword thrown around like a frizzbee among marketing professionals, but it’s a very real consideration in bookselling and book-buying. So we authors should pay attention to branding. I should pay attention. You should pay attention.

What I've learned: Authors’ names are often their brand. Or their series may be their brand. But an author's name or series name should be short, memorable, and easy on the tongue. Hmm… but I wanted to call myself Annamaria George for my next submission. Works well with my numerology folderol. Is that too long? (It’s my given and middle names switched around. Georgeanna Maria.) And is it memorable? Ugh. Does it roll trippingly, off the tongue? (Channeling Shakespeare today—sorry, guys!)

I personally think the name Gammy L. Singer is more memorable, that's why I've used it professionally for all these years--(if you Google me, I pop up quite a bit)--but it seems I’ve trashed that name, put it in the toilet with low book sales. But, but, but hark ye--I’ve spent so many years building it up—do I have to let it go now? Hey, it took GE and Coca-Cola a lotta- lotta’ years—talk about branding!

Okay, supposing I compromise, maybe plug ahead with future mysteries under Gammy, if my new agent (whoever that's gonna be) concurs, and this new venture into Romance, Romantic-Suspense, Romantic-mystery (??!)--whatever--I use Annamaria George. Anna George? Scooby-Doo?

And how should I deliver the project I’m working on now? My current plan is: send it to the editor, bypass my agent, written by (new name) and submit. But how's the editor going to know who it's from? I have to let her know it's me. But that screws up the whole “New Identity” thing.

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” Shakespeare again.

Well, okay, if there’s a bite and an interest in publication, I’d contact an agent for representation (other than the one I have now, but with whom I'm not really happy) and we can go around the whole name thing at that time. Reasonable?

No, people, suffice to say, I have not ditched my current agent yet. Hedging, don’t want to do that until I’ve secured another. (I feel like Dick Cheney with all this skullduggery, but an author’s got to do what an author’s got to do, right? Should it be this hard though?)

What’s in a name? (hyperlink to Blog Branding et al.) Yikes. I guess I’ll find out.

(Does anybody say “yikes” anymore?) Did Shakespeare say it?

The Way Back: Blog #2, Clearing a Path to Opportunity
By Gammy L. Singer

Today I took an inventory of how I spend the hours of my day. To keep body and soul together during these challenging times, I’ve been working part-time as a fill-in resident counselor in a temporary shelter for teens — approximately 15-20 hours a week. It pays next to nothing, but the positive — always look for the positive — is that it is triggering my desire to write YA and I do have a book in mind — in fact, several.

But I’m chucking the job in June. Starting a daycare in September, before and after school care. Yes, I am. No more looking for a 9-5. I did that for a year and look what it's got me! Nada.

I also spend about 20-25 hours a week performing duties as Youth Director at my church, Unity Church of New York in NYC; doing lesson plans for four groups of kids; assembling craft projects; shopping for the Sunday School; working with fourteen teachers, et al. It involves quite a bit, and practically all Sunday every Sunday is devoted to it. I leave at 7 a.m. and return home about 6:30 p.m. That includes travel time, of course. So, together with my part-time job, that’s a work week, isn’t it?

The church responsibility is off my shoulders during July and August. Time earned.

I live now near the Catskills. When auditions come up, I travel back down to the City, and time-wise, I unfortunately blow off a whole day. (However, I take my Alpha-Smart with me and I write — that is, if I don’t nap — 110 minutes on the train each way.)

Auditions taper off in the summer months until mid-August. More time.

I’m also president of Sisters in Crime, NY/Tri-State Chapter. Being dutiful at the job has stolen away writing hours. I’ve loved the experience, but two years is enough. (But I'm telling you, if you want to feel connected, there’s no better place than organizations such as Mystery Writers of America and/or Sisters in Crime. I also belong to the Harlem Writers Guild in NYC. Addendum: I received a “comeback” grant for $1000 from MWA. Did you know that Sisters in Crime also offers money to authors through stipends to bookstores for advertising and publicity for events at their stores — turns out to be a good deal for independent bookstores and a good deal for authors.)

My tenure as SinC president ends in June. Y-a-ay! Time.

Whassup in June besides it busting out all over, you ask? What’s the plan? What’s the attack?

Well, let me tell you what I've already done. I wrote an email to the executive editor of the house which published my previous novels. Put things in point-blank terms. It went something like this, abbreviated:

Me: What’s my status with the company? Should I submit?

Her: (Re: last book) Blah-blah —“…modest sales,” she says, “but we’ll take a look, and of course, if it’s really good, we’d accept it.”

Like the cartoons, I see question marks where my eyes are supposed to be. Is that response enough to “build a dream on?” A-a-argh. Well, nothing beats a failure but a try. What have I got to lose but time? When the going gets tough, the tough get going ... together with any other sayings or aphorisms necessary to whip myself up to do what I need to do. Besides, past advice from other writers who have been in my predicament say, in a nutshell, do something different, then submit, submit, submit.

Hmmm… So the first thing I’ll do on the comeback trail is to write something “really good.” Ha! Hey, I can do that. I do my homework. I really check out the line this time. Can I compete? A preponderance of romances. Okay, so what if …?

That’s it. By June 1, three chapters and a synopsis of a romance, Gammy-style. Can I even write a romance? I did the “Can I?” question writing my first book and also when I wrote my first short story barely two months ago. I just went ahead and did it. But hey, guys, I'm not cranking out an entire book on the slim promise of “we’ll take a look.” Anyway, this summer I’m birthing another book — and quietly amassing a list of agents I’d like to represent me, and other things I’m planning to do differently this time around. TBA, the mistakes I made.

In the meantime, y'all, keeping myself open to splendor and opportunity.

I can do it. Y-e-a-a-h! I’m disciplined, I’m tough, and I’m B-a-a-ddd!

(To be continued)