Psuedonym or Real Name?

[James_Wilde]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But is it the sex that's selling it? ie, do you think you'd have the same level of sales if you'd published the story without the sex? It would be an interesting experiment to publish the same story with and without sex, and compare sales, don't you think?

Harry has an interesting point here. My latest novel (out soon, btw!) handles in what I hope is a sensitive way one of our societal taboos. If the blurb includes information on that, I can expect better sales as the lechers buy the book (hopefully) but I spoil what I hope is one of the surprise elements in what I hope is a drama.

Just in case you're all wondering, I've opted not to reveal the secret, but when the book has been out for six months or so, if it is as successful as my first book, I may change my mind on this one!

[James_Wilde]

Originally Posted by EileenG

No, of course, there wouldn't be the same sales without the sex. It's like having a western without cowboys, or a murder mystery without a dead body. Not impossible, but a bit pointless.

Hm, a murder mystery without a dead body. Now that would be an interesting challenge if I didn't get nauseous at the thought of yet another murder mystery. Any takers?

[Freeshadow]

There is another reason for pseudonyms which shouldn't be left out of view: your real name is already in use by another artist like in the case of Michael Keaton.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

There is another reason for pseudonyms which shouldn't be left out of view: your real name is already in use by another artist like in the case of Michael Keaton.

You can always use a middle initial in that case, but it can get confusing. I can never remember (without looking it up, as I've just done), which is "Joel Rosenberg" (fantasy author) and which "Joel C. Rosenberg" (thriller author).

[VydorScope]

There was a local business that Oracle sued, and successfully shut down because it was "to similar to their trademarked 'Java'" name. The name of the business was the owners last name, and had existed long before Oracle bought Java.

So that could be another reason to use pseudonym.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You can always use a middle initial in that case, but it can get confusing. I can never remember (without looking it up, as I've just done), which is "Joel Rosenberg" (fantasy author) and which "Joel C. Rosenberg" (thriller author).

Middle initials alone aren't really very distinctive for authors, but O.K. else wise. Still they can work.

i.e. Ralph Jones
vs Ralph E. Jones for Ralph Edward Jones

and pray that the first Ralph Jones doesn't have a middle name like
Ralph Edwin Jones.

I would instead try:
R.E. Jones
or even better,
R. Edward Jones.

I have a son and his names, First and Last, are the same as mine. We changed the middle name so that he wouldn't be stuck with one of those Roman Numerals after his name.

Where I do have my name (not my fiction pseudo) on the internet I use my first name, middle initial, and last name OR I use my first two initials and last name. My son uses the first name and the last name. (That was his preference. It was also mine, but hey "My son!") It separates us out pretty good.

[Love.Forever.]

I haven't written any books yet (though I do have a few ideas), I would probably just use a psuedonym. There is a possibility of using the real name, but I guess it would depend on the success of the books or if I feel like its time to put the name.

[James_Wilde]

Originally Posted by Love.Forever.

I haven't written any books yet (though I do have a few ideas), I would probably just use a psuedonym. There is a possibility of using the real name, but I guess it would depend on the success of the books or if I feel like its time to put the name.

Just as a matter of interest, how do you know in advance the success or otherwise of the books, on which your choice of name would depend? Or are you talking about disowning an unsuccessful book: 'gee, that one didn't sell well; I'll attrribute it to Hortense Worpleburg instead.'

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by James_Wilde

Hm, a murder mystery without a dead body. Now that would be an interesting challenge if I didn't get nauseous at the thought of yet another murder mystery. Any takers?

Sleuth, Michael Caine and Sir Lawrence Olivier, Twentieth Century Fox, 1972.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by James_Wilde

Just as a matter of interest, how do you know in advance the success or otherwise of the books, on which your choice of name would depend? Or are you talking about disowning an unsuccessful book: 'gee, that one didn't sell well; I'll attrribute it to Hortense Worpleburg instead.'

Not a wholly bad idea that I have advanced before.

Each book in succession will have a different Pseudonym until finally (hopefully) you have a success. Then you go with that name.

If you wish, at a later date when you have a bit of a following, you might introduce them to some of your earlier works and those pseudonyms, but very carefully.

I would call this the "avoiding the albatross ploy."

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by frahse

Not a wholly bad idea that I have advanced before.

Each book in succession will have a different Pseudonym until finally (hopefully) you have a success. Then you go with that name.

If you wish, at a later date when you have a bit of a following, you might introduce them to some of your earlier works and those pseudonyms, but very carefully.

I would call this the "avoiding the albatross ploy."

The weakness of this method is you never have a backlist, and that appears to be part of the formula for success.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by frahse

Not a wholly bad idea that I have advanced before.

Each book in succession will have a different Pseudonym until finally (hopefully) you have a success. Then you go with that name.

If you wish, at a later date when you have a bit of a following, you might introduce them to some of your earlier works and those pseudonyms, but very carefully.

I would call this the "avoiding the albatross ploy."

Originally Posted by VydorScope

The weakness of this method is you never have a backlist, and that appears to be part of the formula for success.

I tried to cover that.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by frahse

Not a wholly bad idea that I have advanced before.

Each book in succession will have a different Pseudonym until finally (hopefully) you have a success. Then you go with that name.

If you wish, at a later date when you have a bit of a following, you might introduce them to some of your earlier works and those pseudonyms, but very carefully.

I would call this the "avoiding the albatross ploy."

I don't think that would work. When I want to find other books by an author, I just search for the author on Amazon. I never, ever, visit authors' web sites, and the type of thing you describe would just irritate me and make me think that the author was playing silly games.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by frahse

I tried to cover that.

Do not think it would work though...

Originally Posted by HarryT

I don't think that would work. When I want to find other books by an author, I just search for the author on Amazon. I never, ever, visit authors' web sites, and the type of thing you describe would just irritate me and make me think that the author was playing silly games.

From my experience, and my experience talk to others, a unknown (to a given buyer) author is more likely to be read if they have a backlist then if they do not. Similar to the idea that success breeds success.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I don't think that would work. When I want to find other books by an author, I just search for the author on Amazon. I never, ever, visit authors' web sites, and the type of thing you describe would just irritate me and make me think that the author was playing silly games.

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Do not think it would work though...

From my experience, and my experience talk to others, a unknown (to a given buyer) author is more likely to be read if they have a backlist then if they do not. Similar to the idea that success breeds success.

I write in different genres, and I believe that a readily available complete back list could be a damper for some of them.