Author! Author!

The Balabusta, some years ago, used to work hard on getting published in magazines, as part of building her career as a Jewish feminist maven. She still writes a little nonfiction from time to time, but is concentrating right now on her career and her novel(s).

But occasionally, I check out my name on Google to see what's out there on the web under ME. Occasionally it's irksome--I found a response to an article I wrote some years ago that basically calls me a racist--occasionally it's funny or interesting. Here's my current bafflement:

Some over several years, I sold several articles to a Jewish online publication at two zuzim a piece or some such price. Since then, several of them have been reprinted. In some cases, I was contacted by the people who wanted to reprint, or the original publisher called "Hi, is this Balabusta? The Jewish Journal of Wyoming wants to reprint your article about buying earrings before Pesach, can they have it?" I always said yes, because like P.T. Barnum, I really just want my name spelled correctly.

But Beliefnet.com picked up one of my articles, and I got no call, I found it out on Google. I tried later to sell them another piece, pointing out that they had already published me, and got no reply at all.

Now the WZO has included me on not one but two of their sites, reprinting an article I wrote nearly ten years ago. I got no notification, no money...no nothin'. I don't really expect money, but I guess I sort of want to at least be told so I can add it to my resume. I realize it's the Internet, but, eh...I don't know. It's weird. My work gets picked up by organizations that I don't think would HIRE me to write for them.

On the other hand, the WZO used my article! I am TOO a real Zionist!