DH and I are always talking about publicity, even negative publicity as being beneficial. At least it gets your name out there. My standard quip to my husband is, “as long as they spell my name right”. In this case, Kate [deleted] who writes for [deleted] did not.
For the past three weeks, I’ve been helping a reporter from the [deleted] with an article on vanity sizing. The article came out [link deleted] with a quote from Kathleen Fassanella -not Fasanella- which is just great. Dandy. All that work and nothing to show for it. You wouldn’t believe how much leg work I did for her. I had to send her files, links, answered all her questions in depth, man, it was a lot of work! How will people ever find me if she spelled my name wrong? I feel like I can’t win for losing.
I just did a search for that on the web, thanks to the fashions student I’m listed on google. I never thought I’d be happy a reader misspelled my name. It seems like this always happens to me. Reporters never get my name right. It just gets old.
Google also did a suggestion:
Did you mean: Kathleen Fasanella
I think that you will be amazed at how many people will find you regardless of the misspelling. The reporter’s reputation will suffer — not you.
Dear Catherine
Dear Cathleen
Dear Miss Fashion-ella
Sorry, Kathleen…this was just too hard to resist
I get Beverley all the time…once I got Dear Miss Bever Lee
lol
Fashionella! I love it! It’s great. Is it too late to change my name?
I get called Katherine all the time. Sometimes Kathy. My husband doesn’t even call me Kathy. I’m not lovable enough to use a diminutive :)
I think Fashionella would be a wonderful take on your name for the name of a clothing (or pattern) line. It’s practically a phonetic pronunciation of your name (with a slight lisp). :)
Beverly,
I love the name Miss Fashion-ella!!! Kathleen I have looked you up through google too.
My dad still calls me Judy and I cringe every time!!! I would kill my husband if he called me Judy and he knows it.
Not getting ones name right in the media is downright b#llsh*t, I agree. Especially since you friggin helped her! It’s about the same as having your name mis-pronounced at your very own funeral. Except you are still alive. Just think how much time you will spend now, having to correct everyone. “No, Just one ‘S’.”
Having a last name of Greek origin, I deal with this issue full time, so I feel for you. I think she should send you $1000 for being such an unconscious idiot. It’s so offensive. Just hope she doesn’t win the Pewlotsur for it.
Hi Kathleen,
Being from Boston, I saw the article in the [deleted] right away – and was thrilled to see that they quoted you. It’s amazing that you had to go through that much work for a media journalist!!
I will be proudly showing that article to many of my design proteges, many of whom I have told to sign up for your newsletter. Interestingly I have a couple of dress forms left from my manufacturing business, that I had made directly by Wolf in 1976. They were for models size 10. Today, in some workshops I do with young designers, I now call them SIZE 6!!!
Thanks, as always, for great stuff. I wasn’t surprised that you were the foundation for that article.
Best wishes,
Shirley
Sorry I didn’t get it right Kathleen! There are other examples on my blog where I do give the correct spelling, I’m glad that my idiocy did prove useful in some respect :-)
I recently had the same experience. I designed and constructed costumes for the entire college cast of Midsummer Night’s dream. Fairy wings and all, and when the program came back from the printer, my first name was misspelled. Even though I had given them reams of correspondence and bills for reimbursement with the correct spelling of Debra. No one knows me by Deborah!
Not getting ones name right in the media is downright b#llsh*t, I agree…I think she should send you $1000 for being such an unconscious idiot.
Actually, it’s quite common for credits to be incorrect or misspelled, and… how to say this… using such insulting terms towards the media is not the way to get in a reporter’s good graces.
Ask anyone who works with reporters and editors, and you do everything you can and pray that the credits are right:) Now if you go around insulting people, who is going to want to write about you, or if they do, showcase you in a positive light?
Sure it’s easy to write her off as a writer for the [deleted], but reporters move around… and they share info with each other…
BTW, it’s not uncommon for people to suggest that if you have a name that is commonly misspelled (or company name) to also buy the misspelled domain and/or target the common misspelling by using it in your SEO tactics.