I posted on this a few weeks ago, I think. Back then, I was trying to decide if I needed to use pen names for my other genres or not. And I finally decided that yes, I do.
Why?
Well, for me it wasn't because I didn't want Audience A to know that I also write Genre B. In fact, on all my websites under my various names (and yes, I have a website for each one) I specifically mention the other genres and names I go by, with links to the other sites.
But because my audiences are so vastly different (non-fiction, YA novels, and picture books) I wanted to make it as easy as possible for each audience to find the book they are after. If I were to write all these genres under my own name, I could have a student looking for an essay guide but finding only picture books or a mom looking for a fun picture book but finding only YA novels.
With a pen name for each genre, this won't happen. My moms and kids can find all my picture books under the name Michelle Raynor; my YA audience can find all my novels under the name MacKenna Marquis; and my non-fiction peeps can find all my educational NF under my real name, Michelle McLean. (Click on the links if you want to check out my websites under each name) :)
How did I come up with these names? Well, my own name is just my name :D The name Raynor is a mixture of the letters in my children's names. And I wanted to use my maiden name (Michelle Marquis) for my third name, but another writer is already using that as her pen name. So...I borrowed my niece's name (MacKenna) and kept my maiden last name to create MacKenna Marquis :)
Do any of you write under a pen name? Would you? If you do, how did you come up with your name?
Why?
Well, for me it wasn't because I didn't want Audience A to know that I also write Genre B. In fact, on all my websites under my various names (and yes, I have a website for each one) I specifically mention the other genres and names I go by, with links to the other sites.
But because my audiences are so vastly different (non-fiction, YA novels, and picture books) I wanted to make it as easy as possible for each audience to find the book they are after. If I were to write all these genres under my own name, I could have a student looking for an essay guide but finding only picture books or a mom looking for a fun picture book but finding only YA novels.
With a pen name for each genre, this won't happen. My moms and kids can find all my picture books under the name Michelle Raynor; my YA audience can find all my novels under the name MacKenna Marquis; and my non-fiction peeps can find all my educational NF under my real name, Michelle McLean. (Click on the links if you want to check out my websites under each name) :)
How did I come up with these names? Well, my own name is just my name :D The name Raynor is a mixture of the letters in my children's names. And I wanted to use my maiden name (Michelle Marquis) for my third name, but another writer is already using that as her pen name. So...I borrowed my niece's name (MacKenna) and kept my maiden last name to create MacKenna Marquis :)
Do any of you write under a pen name? Would you? If you do, how did you come up with your name?
Post Title
→The Pen Name Game
Post URL
→https://shortemohaircuts2011.blogspot.com/2011/04/pen-name-game.html
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