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Pen Names

I have created a pen name for my novel, one that I feel represents the genre. I want to write another novel in a different genre and I'm considering creating another pen name to suit. What do you think, are pen names a good idea, is it possible/advisable to have more than one?

Asked by: Frederick James

  1. Victoria Whithear on September 13, 2012

    I think promoting one name is hard enough. I wouldn-t start the whole process again with a second name. What would be the point?

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  2. Frederick James on September 13, 2012

    Thank you Victoria. Should an author be known for writing certain types of novels only or could they be diverse? All the novellists I know are recognised for being a crime writer/ romance novellist/ thriller specialist etc. Would I be taken seriously if I wrote a modern thriller follwoed by a historical drama?

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  3. Victoria Whithear on September 13, 2012

    I once asked an independent publisher that question. She shrugged and said she didn't see why not. I suspect if you asked a large publishing house the same question they would say it would be best not to alienate any loyal readers you have gained with something they wouldn't read. If your new project doesn't then gain its own readership and all your previous readers jump ship, you might as well be a new author again. I suspect that is why large publishers don't usually take the risk of publishing one author in two differing genres.

    Of course, there is an author, whose name currently escapes me, who does write in a different genre under a pen name so as not to alienate his previous audience. Your publisher would have to be extremely confident in your work to even consider it, though.

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  4. Frederick James on September 14, 2012

    Thanks again Victoria, I think I need to focus on the writing first, get the novels finished and then decide after.

  5. Dor Armitage on September 14, 2012

    I think it would depend on the genres. If, for instance, you wrote Chick Lit but then wrote a Hard Sci-Fi novel, it would probably be better to have two unconnected pseudonyms.

    If you wrote crime novels AND cozy mystery novels, I'd suggest doing the Iain Banks/Iain M Banks route and ensure you had a clear visual identity for each brand. This is because you have potential audience crossover but not to the extent that somebody who was only interested in one would automatically be interested in the other.

    Or, you can have a single name across all your novels. If you wrote several novels in one style and switched, you might experience a backlash from your existing fanbase (if I see one more complaint about the lack of F/F relationships in Sarah Waters' The Little Stranger, I'm going to get stabby) but equally, you might expand that fanbase with your new work who would then seek out your backlist.

    Essentially it's a marketing and branding question which, as you say, remains moot until the novel is finished and you have a deal on the table (or have decided to self-pub).

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