What’s In A Name?
Have you heard of the author Robert Galbraith?
What about Richard Bachman?
Mary Westmacott?
Mrs. Silence Dogood?
Clive Hamilton and N.W. Clerk?
Paul French?
Jonathan Oldstyle, Diedrich Knickerbocker and Georffrey Crayon?
I’d venture that you have heard of all of these authors? Let’s try another list.
J.K. Rowling?
Stephen King?
Agatha Christie?
Benjamin Franklin? (Yeah, the guy on the money.)
C.S. Lewis?
Isaac Asimov?
Washington Irving?
All the same people. The famous authors at times decided to write under a pseudonym, even though they were already well established authors. Why would they do that?
Because when you establish a following you also establish a brand.
Have you seen the new electric Mustang cars from Ford Motor company?
I’m a huge Mustang fan and I think they are ugly and look nothing like a Mustang. They are four door and they look like a Honda hatchback. Ford broke the brand. (Ironically they also have a new 2022 gas powered Mustang that looks like. . .well, a Mustang.)
One of my writing mentors was David Wolverton. He wrote some Science Fiction stories under the name Dave Wolverton. Then, he wanted to write Fantasy, eventually coming out with the RuneLord series. His editor was worried his fans would become confused if he had both Science Fiction and Fantasy under the same name, so he wrote fantasy under the name David Farland.
He was so successful as Dave Farland that he eventually rereleased his Science Fiction under the Dave Farland name.
I’m not nearly as successful as any of those writers. I picked my author name to be “Rodney M. Bliss.” My website is www.rodneymbliss.com. And the genre I write in is Science Fiction. If you select the link below you can find the anthology with my latest short story. It’s a Science Fiction story.
I’m getting ready to submit stories for the next anthology. It’s a Halloween theme that will be available for next Halloween. I have two stories in mind. One is a traditional Science Fiction story about a haunted spaceship. It will be appropriately creepy and also fit comfortably within the Science Fiction genre.
But, I also have an idea for a YA, or Young Adult story called “The Halloween I Saved The World.” It’s about an alien invasion that happens on Halloween. The kids have to save the world from the aliens. I don’t know if the editors will even consider two stories. It’s not often done in an anthology; allowing more than a single story by an author.
But, I’m also considering what name to submit it under. Would it “confuse” my readers if I were to write a YA story?
Probably not.
I think the better question is, “Might it be just a TOUCH early to be too worried about confusing my handful of readers?”
Absolutely.
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren. Order Miscellany III A Collection of Holiday Short Stories, an anthology including his latest short story, “You Can Call Me Dan” here
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