What's in a name?
A short entry today. When it comes to an author's name on a book, how much importance is there is the name?
This is something I've wondered about recently more and more, and was highlighted to me with the arrival of my first US review on Amazon (Yay!) where the reviewer noted at the bottom that I don't appear to be the same Christopher Moore of "Lamb" and "Fluke". It was just a note to fans of the the "other me", and the review itself was good and they gave me four stars, which was very nice. But it begs the question: What format should one's name be in on the cover of a book, or in the byline of an article? Should a pseudonym be used if writing isn't your main occupation? Or should one definitely be used if there is already an author out there with the same name?
My full name is Christopher Moore, though inevitably I'm called Chris and actually prefer it. However in written form, my full name looks better and more professional than Chris Moore, but in spoken word the abbreviation sounds better. So when it came to putting my name to my work, Christopher Moore seemed the obvious way to go. In actual fact I have a PhD, and when putting my title ahead of my name in written or spoken word, the shorter version sounds better and more professional.
The problem I have now is that there is already an American author called Christopher Moore, and a Canadian author called Christopher G Moore. One of which writes satire, and the other crime fiction. Should I continue to be the "British" Christopher Moore? Or should I adopt a pseudonym to separate myself from these established authors? Seems a little unfair to have to change my pen name simply because two other guys with the same name were born a good twenty years before me. But at the same time I wouldn't want people to expect satire in my book when they come across it on Amazon and then be disappointed or think the American Christopher Moore has decided to go in a different direction with his writing.
Maybe I should go Christopher P Moore, or maybe I should go pseudonym - I was thinking Oliver Barton. For the meantime I guess I'll stick with who I am and let the work speak for itself.
This is something I've wondered about recently more and more, and was highlighted to me with the arrival of my first US review on Amazon (Yay!) where the reviewer noted at the bottom that I don't appear to be the same Christopher Moore of "Lamb" and "Fluke". It was just a note to fans of the the "other me", and the review itself was good and they gave me four stars, which was very nice. But it begs the question: What format should one's name be in on the cover of a book, or in the byline of an article? Should a pseudonym be used if writing isn't your main occupation? Or should one definitely be used if there is already an author out there with the same name?
My full name is Christopher Moore, though inevitably I'm called Chris and actually prefer it. However in written form, my full name looks better and more professional than Chris Moore, but in spoken word the abbreviation sounds better. So when it came to putting my name to my work, Christopher Moore seemed the obvious way to go. In actual fact I have a PhD, and when putting my title ahead of my name in written or spoken word, the shorter version sounds better and more professional.
The problem I have now is that there is already an American author called Christopher Moore, and a Canadian author called Christopher G Moore. One of which writes satire, and the other crime fiction. Should I continue to be the "British" Christopher Moore? Or should I adopt a pseudonym to separate myself from these established authors? Seems a little unfair to have to change my pen name simply because two other guys with the same name were born a good twenty years before me. But at the same time I wouldn't want people to expect satire in my book when they come across it on Amazon and then be disappointed or think the American Christopher Moore has decided to go in a different direction with his writing.
Maybe I should go Christopher P Moore, or maybe I should go pseudonym - I was thinking Oliver Barton. For the meantime I guess I'll stick with who I am and let the work speak for itself.
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