What's in a Pen Name?
An author by any other pen name would write as sweet. But she might not make as much money.
I have a confession. Tara Maya is a pen name. My real name has a lot of syllables. I decided ages ago -- in my year abroad in college, to be precise -- I needed a pen name. Mostly I was too shy to face the idea of anyone knowing I was an author, but partly I thought a nice, short name could be written in a larger font on a paperback. ;)
I'm over the shyness and who even knows if there will still be paperbacks by the time any of my writing sees print. Furthermore, I discovered the downside to a pen name. It isn't your real name. I know. Duh. But I wasn't thinking about the importance of social networking, or any other kind of marketing, back when I decided to start writing under a pseudonym.
Why not just start using my real name? Well, for one thing, now I'm married, so that's changed anyway. Another thing, I've been participating in writer's groups, submitting to agents and have even been published under Tara Maya. To the extent anyone knows I exist as a writer at all, they know me as Tara Maya.
Oh, right, unless of course they know me by my other pen name. Yeah, I have two. I've published under that one too. I have a blog for the other pen name too, but I hardly ever write in it (what, hardly ever? well, never) because I prefer to write in this blog.
Therein lies the other big problem with pen names. The more you have, the more time you have to spend separately marketing each one. What a bother.
On to my question. Should I write my new book under a different name -- my real name, for instance?
I know, I know, I just said it was a bother to have more than one, so why would I want three?
One word: genre.
As Tara Maya, I write science fiction and fantasy. My other pen name writes steamy romance. The new book I'm working on isn't in either of those genres. It's a mainstream novel. Historical, I suppose, would be the closest genre, although this particular book only takes place about ten years ago.
Any thoughts?
(The art is by roz-red from deviant art.)
Comments
as an aside - if someone is worried about their following a 'common' blog could be set up to update on all 3 (?) writers.
I went through all this fuss awhile and finally decided that I will publish under my full name. Nobody has it and it will be easy to find me online: Michelle Davidson Argyle. I come right up in google. :)
If you don't have a really good reason for a pen name, I don't see why you'd need one. Just my opinion.
I really hate the name "Scott." I've considered changing it a dozen times over the years, but as I get older I get less fussy about my vanity, so I publish under my real name. I add in my middle initials so I won't be confused with the hockey player or the voice actor. Also, it's pretentious and I lied about my vanity just now.
To sum up: I'm no help to you at all. I understand the issues regarding writing in different genres, and how disappointing sales in one genre will make bookstores hesitate to order copies of an author's books in a different genre. The other thing, though, is that multiple pen names for a single author usually don't remain secret for long, and it can end up just looking silly. I say that if you think you'll be proud of your next book, you should put your own name on it. There is something really cool about seeing one's own name in print (as long as it's not on a summons or the like).
She uses a different name for a different genre.
I think if you feel you can keep them straight, go for it. I personally couldn't keep them all straight. I have no qualms with writing under my married name. I think the idea of a pen name is fun but I think when it came down to filing the paperwork it would just be too much trouble (I'm assuming you'd need to file a d/b/a - doing business as and then sign the docs for the contract as such).
IF and ONLY IF I was going to write a book that I didn't want family to know about I would use a pen name. :) But that is just me.
For me, my own name is original enough (like Lady Glamis when I google my name it is only me who comes up) and honestly, keeping track of another name would just be too darn confusing.
I understand the need for authors to use different pen names when writing in conflicting genres. I do think it'd be hard to keep up with more than a couple personas. It's difficult enough making time for one blog and one genre market.