To pseudonym, or not to pseudonym?
For me, the answer was ‘not to pseudonym’.
It was a tough call. How do you ask an audience to follow you as an author if you go from writing science fiction to contemporary romance? Being blunt, writers want their books to sell, to be read. Traditional marketing says; if you write different stuff, you’ll alienate your audience.
Ouch. Nobody wants that.
It comes down to this. I’m a writer taken with the idea of ‘a story’. What this means is I have lots of story ideas, and often, they can’t be forced into a single, or narrow range of genres.
When I look through my ‘ideas’ folder on my computer, I see: supernatural fantasy, contemporary fiction, a superhero story, black comedy, post-apocalypse, historical fantasy, science fiction, period drama, crime, thriller, action adventure, romance, and a sea story.
About the only major genre that’s missing is horror – although my new trilogy, The Hand of the Khryseoi, has horror elements, so I guess that’s on the list too.
So, if I was to create a series of ‘follow-able’ pseudonyms to bookend these stories, I’d need at least six, I reckon. Being six different people sounds like a lot of hard work. So, I decided to stick with being one, and put my energy into writing these stories instead.
I guess the thing I’d like to say to my readers is; it’s a free world. If I write something that isn’t your thing, don’t read it. If you enjoy variety, I could be your guy.
It was a tough call. How do you ask an audience to follow you as an author if you go from writing science fiction to contemporary romance? Being blunt, writers want their books to sell, to be read. Traditional marketing says; if you write different stuff, you’ll alienate your audience.
Ouch. Nobody wants that.
It comes down to this. I’m a writer taken with the idea of ‘a story’. What this means is I have lots of story ideas, and often, they can’t be forced into a single, or narrow range of genres.
When I look through my ‘ideas’ folder on my computer, I see: supernatural fantasy, contemporary fiction, a superhero story, black comedy, post-apocalypse, historical fantasy, science fiction, period drama, crime, thriller, action adventure, romance, and a sea story.
About the only major genre that’s missing is horror – although my new trilogy, The Hand of the Khryseoi, has horror elements, so I guess that’s on the list too.
So, if I was to create a series of ‘follow-able’ pseudonyms to bookend these stories, I’d need at least six, I reckon. Being six different people sounds like a lot of hard work. So, I decided to stick with being one, and put my energy into writing these stories instead.
I guess the thing I’d like to say to my readers is; it’s a free world. If I write something that isn’t your thing, don’t read it. If you enjoy variety, I could be your guy.
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Kate
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Jul 17, 2015 11:13PM
Being 6 different people does sound challenging! Just think of the social media… Makes me faint to even consider. I'm like you and stick with my own name. The only time I've ever published under a pseudonym was in an anthology of zombie erotica. It was fun to write, but as a YA writer, not really appropriate for the core audience… Added bonus is that I already have the pseudonym if the urge to write more erotica (zombie or otherwise) hits me!
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I agree with you, Michael, what is the point of a pseudonym? There is only one reason I can think off, and that is to stop the begging letters when you’re rich and famous. Both S. King and Mary what’s her name, the Harry Potter woman, tried changing genres and using pseudonyms. They were both flops until they leaked the secret of their true identities.Anyway, Amazon, Goodreads, etc., all ask for author profiles with pictures. How do you make six pseudonym impressions of yourself?
The more book titles you have to your name, the better, no matter what genre. It shows your versatility and commitment.
I read a statistic: the most important factor a reader uses when he chooses a book from an unknown author, is the cover.
So, use your own name with pride, whatever you write, and stun the reader with a breath-taking cover and an even better content.
