Here's what happened and just follow me, I'll keep it 100% real, promise.
I started my Hollywood Railroad blog in 2009. The title came from all of the Industry inside jokes that I was a proponent for overlooked talent submitted to the trade magazines - and I worked for one of the majors in that space at The Hollywood Reporter. Here's why: I'd been an actor before I became a professional journalist. I'd been talent. I knew more about the round-file than the carpet the round file was sitting on. And I wanted to be the complete antithesis of that.
In my 7 years at THR. if I was submitted a relevant, concise pitch that wouldn't make me look insane for forwarding it on, I would give it to the respective editors. I'd forward it or I'd write it up or present it. I did it on instinct and never had to argue with an editor when I did. That was how the nickname came about, because I wasn't putting my tastes first. I was objectively sticking to the editorial discretion of others in charge of their particular beat. I'm glad I had/have that sensibility and it helped me champion a lot of talent, with no agenda. If it's a well-written pitch, here you go, you decide. That's how I roll.
So, I had the title of my blog. I didn't start it with visions of any side income. I'm a trusted professional, I wasn't going to be drawing dicks over people's faces.It was a personal thing.
I created Hollywood Railroad to establish who I was as a person and professional, beyond brief passings on the 24-hour media circuit. I included journal entries, essays, links I liked, unpublished news coverage I'd done... freestyle.
I had tens of thousands of readers over the time of those posts, from 2009-2013 and I appreciated every single one of you. To share journal entries or write about what were extremely personal events in my life was an expansion I forced myself to do, knowing that my intentions were sincere in doing it. Your reader visits here and time gifted to me encouraged me to do it and to write more. I never worried about backlash for honesty or candor and I was supported. It was a very personal bond. Feedback through personal e-mails and social media check-ins where we could encourage our efforts and similar trajectories was amazing and we're still in touch.
Summer 2013: I went to make a post here - it had been months since my last one - and the blog was gone. I'd missed my annual renewal with Go Daddy.That simple/banal. I was in a work crush and I missed the domain renewal - as well as the e-mail reminder on my personal e-mail account. I could either buy it back for 10 times what I paid for it in the first place..or I could wait, lose all of the content, and buy the name back at auction. Yada, yada, I know - but this is for anyone else who may be waylaid by professional obligations. A friendly reminder, if you will!
I thought about it, I got links sent to me that could, in theory, retrieve my deleted blog posts from the maw of oblivion. And I couldn't. If the blog, and hundreds of posts, was gone, then I'd take my lumps.
For one, the irony wasn't lost on me: I hadn't missed any work deadlines - I'd missed my own deadline to renew my blog domain. It wasn't cost-prohibitive, I just got sidetracked. And that sucked. And Go Daddy has no reason to care. It was my fault for not checking my personal e-mail for those days. Embarrassing somewhat, but true!
I made the decision to let the old content go. It had been read and it wasn't like I can't write it again, if relevant - and better. I put it out there.
I apologize for not addressing the lost blog archives sooner and for links you may still come upon in search that are no longer there. I'll write more and the lesson, a hard one I taught myself, is not to put every professional obligation before checking in on your own - be it a book, blog, or any creative endeavor. Me to myself: you lost your blog, your pride won't let you buy it back (this time) and it won't happen again.
I'm back and I'll be writing and sharing even more.I went from THR to the New York Times Co., to many other things and my current work over the time I started this 'niche' and personal blog. I thank all of the reader's community I got to know. I'll be starting again. I know I'm one online voice of millions - and that we get to kick it here and keep it 100 is amazing and I appreciate you incredibly. More soon... - Karl
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