Are pen names important in helping to sell a book?
How many authors reading this blog use a different pen name based on the genre they write? Some might want a pseudonym for their sweet romances and a different name for the erotic romance with the sexy scenes. Do readers remember a catchy name and look for it the second time they check out books at a certain site?
What type of pen name does an author choose? Is it simple or complicated? In my opinion, an author should select a pseudonym that is catchy and hopefully when you see it you won’t soon forget it.
I use my pen name for everything that I write whether it’s sweet or an erotic romance. I feel anyone not wanting to read the erotic work I produce can skip over it and head for the sweet romance category that I write.
I don’t believe I could switch back and forth between pen names. To me, it’s too hard to establish recognition with just one name and keep a following looking for the books with your pen name on the cover.
These are questions for authors. How did you choose your pen name? Does it have to be exotic or plain and simple?
And this question is for readers. Do you select a book solely on the cover and title, or does the pen name play a part in your selection?
http://www.mary-suzanne.blogspot.com
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Be sure and check out my latest release of Strange Visitors due out on June 15th from www.Devinedestinies.com. The short is a sci-fi/romance.
18 comments:
Great blog, Mary Suzanne. Elizabeth Black is my pen name. My favorite women's name is Elizabeth and I chose Black because the B's fall just above eye level for me on your average store bookcase. I'd like my books to be directly in your line of vision when you visit a bookstore. I prefer a more classic name than an exotic one. I don't want people cringing when they see my pen name. LOL
I use the pen name for all my fiction but I'm considering using my real name with first initials for my newer horror/mystery/dark fiction stuff. Haven't decided yet.
Lizzie,
Thanks for commenting.
I love to see what author's use as pen names and wonder how they came up with them. I'll bet a lot of them use and combine family members names.
I like your idea of using your real name with initials for your horror/mystery/dark fiction, but I think I'll stick with my pen name on all my work. It's too hard to put another pen name out there and try to establish it with readers.
Great blog! Hubs and I knew we'd need a feminine pen name for the erotic romance we write together. We chose our first name, Adriana, because we love the sound of it and think it's sexy - hope that's what it conveys to others! The last name was more of a challenge and I don't remember exactly how we selected Kraft. I know we did think about the adjective crafty and also about writing as a craft, so I'm thinking we decided Kraft was more probable as a last name than Craft! We're happy with it, in any case.
We do have some works under another pen name in a different genre and have just about given up trying to be two personas. By January we plan to fold the two identities together and offer all our books on a single website, and new releases in the second genre will come out under Adriana's name. Lots to look forward to!
Adriana,
Thanks for commenting.
I'm like you about two pen names. It's too hard to try finding a following of readers with a new pen name.
My second thought is there might be too much confusion for a reader to switch back and forth between names.
I feel if a reader wants sexy or romance, they should check out the ratings on the book in helping them decide.
Remember way back when AOL was the only way to get online (just about) and they had all those chat groups and you had to come up with your own 'online name'? Mine was Kissa. I've always been Kissa online since the internet started. I don't really see it as a pen name because it's who I am, not something I came up with just to write. Sounds crazy I know. And I know, gasp, there wasn't always internet?
As far as the using of several names. I've considered it. I've thought about it some more but I really don't care if readers know everything I write. I did make one concession- I write sweet romances under K. Starling. That way readers know instantly that even though that book is also by Kissa, it won't have sex or fetishism in it. K= Klean I tell them. I would hate for a reader to buy something expecting one thing and end up with another.
That said, my sweet romances don't sell nearly as well as my erotic romances. I'm sure some sweet romance readers don't like my other genres. At this point I'm not willing to divide those up. I don't have the time or energy.
I do wish more people would try my sweet romances but for now, my mom and a few other people love them! : )
Thanks, Kissa.
I know what you mean about sweet romances not selling as well. I love to write them, though.
You had a good idea of still using Starling by just adding the K for your sweet romances. You still get your name out there for your readers and they'll soon come to identify which name goes where.
Good luck with sales on the sweet romances. I'm hoping for a few, but I'm not holding my breath. LOL
I use my own name for almost everything, and all my promotion efforts go into that name. I have few things, a bit on the "spicy" side, that I have done under a pen name, but those are mostly just sold to e-zines and such to pick up a few bucks, I don't do any real promotion on those.
The only reason for using a pen name (for me) is so readers don't pick up something with my name on it and then get upset or offended by the "heat."
Kind of ironic, Jim, that I have just the opposite problem. Most of my readers are into the eroticism and the fetish side of romance and would get upset by the 'non-heat'.
Do you have a website?
Interesting blog!
I think it's interesting that some authors use pen names to keep some of their genres separate.
Honestly though, I usually look at the cover and the blurb of a book I'm thinking about buying.
I usually only think about the pen name if I know that it's the same author, like if I find out on their website or something.
One author that I like to read is Amanda Ashley and she also writes historical romances as Madeline Baker.
Ike Rose is a pen name, since I have professional writing credits under my "real" name, whiich I hate. (The name, not the stuff I wrote!)
I hane notes for a few YA novels, & may publish them under another name.
Jim,
I use the same pen name for every one of my books.
I always make sure the heat levels are revealed to my readers so they can make the choice on whether they want to pass on the book.
Gabby,
That's interesting about just looking at the cover and reading the blurb.
I usually look for an author's name and then check out the cover and blurb.
There are times when I don't recognize an author's name, but I'll buy the book based on the cover and blurb.
Ike,
Like I said in my blog, it's too hard to try to establish pen names that readers will look for if they like your material.
I wish you luck in establishing another pen name. I spend too much time on the pen name I use now in keeping it out there and recognized.
Great subject and great blog!
I use a pen name for my stories in the fantasy and erotica genre. The name "Ellison James" is actually a kind of loose anagram of my real name. It was derived from L S and James. At first, I thought that I was being really clever and the name was exotic, but then realized two things.
1. Ellison James is not as gender neutral as I thought. I've had many people tell me that it is a man's name. I thought is was a sexy woman's name.
2. I very quickly realized that my chosen pen name is strickingly famaliar with, and often confused with James Ellison - an actor and another writer. I don't know whether this has helped me or hurt me.
So there it is, my strange reasons for coming up with this pen name. I use a pen name mostly because I like to write some stories in the erotica genre, and also have written in science fiction, mystery, and thriller genres, and I had already used my real name for that.
Thanks for your comment,Ellison.
I don't believe your name sounds masculine. People probably tell you this because of the letter E at the beginning of Ellison. Most people are looking for Allison as the correct spelling. I find it sounds and looks original.
And having your name similar to a writr and an actor couldn't hurt. This should give you more publicity. It grabbed my attention when I saw it posted.
Great blog post... very timely for me as I have been going back and forth over this issue for at least a month! I have two manuscripts ready to submit and have been banging my head against the wall trying to decide to create a different pen for the erotica one versus the romantic one that has hot sex, just doesn't refer to body parts with the heat that my other one does.
Thanks to all for very valuable insight. I love Elizabeth's rationale for the B last name, obviously I chose a good one then! :-)
Adriana, very very interesting.. I can imagine keeping the identities separate can be mind boggling.
I think I am convinced to keep this one... laughing, for now!
Susan,
I believe you made the right choice. It's so hard for readers to jump from one pen name to another, and it takes a lot of work to establish just one.
Good luck with your manuscripts. I hope we've all answered your question in some way.
Great blog, Mary Suzanne. I use my one and only pen name...I can't honestly invest time and energy in creating another, whole new persona. I love what I do and thankfully, I don't have to think about which hat to wear as I write. LOL...
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