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Writing under a different name

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Qualapec:
A question about writing under a different name. What are the pros of writing under a different name? And if you choose to use an alias for writing would you get to choose it?

~She-Wolf

blue moon:
I know a few people online who write on the racy end of romance.  They use pseudonyms so that 1. the neighbors don't find out, and 2. the pervs have a harder time tracking them down.  #2 is also an issue for someone I know who writes mystery/thrillers with disturbing content.

It used to be that certain romance lines would force you to use a pseudonym and then retain the rights to your name.  So if you wanted to work for another house you were stuck starting over.  While they could have someone else write under your name.  That, fortunately, has changed.

The choice to write under a different name seems to be yours these days.  As for picking the name, I'd discuss it with your agent and/or editor.  They should be able to help with considerations like how the name will look on the cover and where it would be shelved.  If you're choosing your name, you might as well choose for maximum sales.

LoVeBoOkS:

--- Quote from: blue moon on August 18, 2006, 12:34:28 PM ---I know a few people online who write on the racy end of romance. They use pseudonyms so that 1. the neighbors don't find out, and 2. the pervs have a harder time tracking them down. #2 is also an issue for someone I know who writes mystery/thrillers with disturbing content.

It used to be that certain romance lines would force you to use a pseudonym and then retain the rights to your name. So if you wanted to work for another house you were stuck starting over. While they could have someone else write under your name. That, fortunately, has changed.

The choice to write under a different name seems to be yours these days. As for picking the name, I'd discuss it with your agent and/or editor. They should be able to help with considerations like how the name will look on the cover and where it would be shelved. If you're choosing your name, you might as well choose for maximum sales.

--- End quote ---

Very true

Or you could just remain anonymous

Ive seen that before as well

Richelle Mead:
A big thing also is that they recommend using different names for different genres.  All of my currently contracted books will be under Richelle Mead because they're all urban fantasy.  I do, however, have a sci-fi novel I'm tossing around with my agent.  If that sold, it's recommended that I pick a different name for it to keep my fanbases (when I have them) differentiated.  I don't entirely follow all of the reasoning, but apparently you can confuse your fans if you're a fresh author and have too many genres.  Once you've got a reputation, you can publish any genre under whatever name you want (ahem, John Grisham).  So, I would also have the choice to wait on the sci-fi novel until I was established and then publish it under my own name--if I wanted to wait that long.

Fantasy author Robin Hobb did the name thing.  Her high fantasies are under that name; her urban fantasies are under Megan Lindholm.

Mickey Finn:
Richelle, I don't think you need to change your name for genres. Hell, you may get more readers that way.
I use a pen name because my birth name is too long to fit on a bookcover.

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