Pronunciation Key

[Missy]

I'm kicking myself that I didn't add a name pronunciation key to my book. My character names are unique and I wonder whether I should edit my manuscripts to add them.

Do you offer pronunciation keys or glossaries in your novels? I might just add the key to my website along with adding a gallery of illustrations to drive traffic to my site. Thoughts?

<3

[Riley, Viking Extraordinaire]

If you did publishing yourself on createspace, you can always go back and add your glossary in. I should probably do one, too, but my names aren't too bad....I don't think...

[[deleted user]]

Good suggestion. You can go back and add one. But do something to make certain the reader notices it. Michael Chabon added a glossary to The Yiddish Policeman's Union, but the reader only discovered it after having read the entire book!

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

Missy wrote: "Do you offer pronunciation keys or glossaries in your novels?"

No, I don't, but the names I use are fun and silly at times, but not hard to pronounce.

Depending on how you published, you may be able to go back and edit a pronunciation key in.

[Kimberly]

Missy wrote: "I'm kicking myself that I didn't add a name pronunciation key to my book. My character names are unique and I wonder whether I should edit my manuscripts to add them.

Do you offer pronunciation ke..."
Great answers! I too have unique names but (thus far) have left it to my readers how they want to pronounce (12 volumes in my series, the third is about to be published via Amazon Kindle). I realized I needed a glossary but of the unique terms I use and will add in book three and on...I can go and edit in on Kindle and update my first books). If I were adding a pronunciation for names I would keep it brief and likely put it in the front before the prologue.

[Missy]

I did publish on CreateSpace and Kindle, so it's easy enough to add it in. I have some edits to do this week anyway, so maybe I'll write one up.

I'm not sure why it makes me cringe when people pronounce my characters' names differently than I do. I should probably try to get over that!

[B.K.]

Hmmm, I have a couple of character names with pronunciation that couple be up for interpretation. Never thought about including a key. I probably won't.