Ah yes. What’s in a name? Or more to the point, what’s in my name?
I’ve been battling this point ever since I conceived the curious notion that I could write a romance novel. Of course, because I usually begin at the wrong end of the process, one of my first concerns was under what name I would write. It’s not that I don’t have an adequate choice of names: my full legal name is Beppie Anne van Heemskerck Duker Harrison, and you would think that out of all that I could come up with something to put on the front of a published book.
It has since been made obvious to me that the first problem is getting the book published. Once you’ve gotten that taken care of, picking a name is relatively simple. However, I dithered about a name for some time. I considered several aliases. Anne Cooley was one. Anne from the name above, Cooley being my mother’s maiden name. I felt it was quite important that I find some alias, because there are eight books out there (possibly all being retrieved by Google — they are all out of print) and four of those were written for my church market, and I suspect the eyebrows of my former readers would skittle right up into their hairlines if they read some of what I’m writing now.
And believe me, what I’m writing now is NOT erotic. Just sort of ordinary in the course of romance novels now. But trust me, my former readers would be horrified. My two dear sisters read one manuscript, and one of them finally said, “I don’t like to think about what goes on in other people’s bedrooms.”
You see my point?
However, as I went to Nationals a few times, I had many many many people say “Beppie! What a great name!” Susan Elizabeth Phillips clutched me by the hand at a literacy signing and said my name was unforgettable, how lucky I was. Jenny Crusie, signing a book for my daughter, wrote “For Martha, whose mother has a wonderful name.” Etc. etc. etc. (However Nora Roberts has seemed unmoved by it, and she’s signed three or four books for me.)
So I more or less decided that maybe I should just go with Beppie. Maybe have it be Beppie Heaton (my mother-in-law’s maiden name) instead. But then it seemed sort of silly, since Beppie is the memorable bit, and wouldn’t it make more sense just to go with good old Beppie Harrison? After all, that’s what I am on Google.
But then I had the opportunity to spend some time with a couple of multi-published authors, and discovered to my fascination that the names I’d blandly assumed they’d been born with (or married into) were in fact pseudonyms. Chosen, I gather, for the privacy factor. Now for me to worry about that is a bit previous: I can’t claim there are eager fans dogging my footsteps or pounding on my door. But assuming that some bright day I actually DO get a book published, and assuming further that somebody READS it, would there be times when I didn’t want the somebody to suddenly burst into my ordinary, anonymous life?
So what have you ladies decided? And why? Does it make sense to put some distance between yourself and the wider world? Or would it be sort of fun to see your own plain ordinary name on a book? Don’t ask me — I haven’t decided yet!
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I love the name Beppie. I personally have a name in mind for the day I am published. And for me, it’s not so much the privacy issue (though I guess I should think in those terms) but more the separating of those two worlds. To my family and friends I am Amy Talley, but if I publish, I am thinking of using my middle name Elizabeth and going with Liz Talley. But I am up for suggestions.
Keri is my real name. Ford is not. It belongs to my grandparents. I wanted three things in a name:
easy to say
easy to spell
easy to remember.
If you grew up with a name that is NONE of the above, then you start looking for simple and sweet! I thought Hubs’s name was fairly common, until I started ordering things on the phone.
A publisher might have me change it down the road and that’s okay, but I’m still going to hope for a name that includes all of the above, or at least 2 of them!
Two fascinating reasons that I hadn’t thought of!
Amy, I really like the idea of separating the two worlds. I think that makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, if I hang on to the Beppie, there’s not much separation allowed. The sad truth is that there aren’t a lot of Beppies floating around (and I’m fairly sure that those who are are relatives — I know two of them!) whatever the last name might be.
Keri, I love the way you think! Practical, analytical, well organized. I can only admire your very logical line of thought. The trouble with Beppie is that it only meets the last specification — it is NOT easy to say (I have been called Beepy more often than I like to remember; Burpy by nasty grade school boys) nor to spell: Bepe, Beppy, Beepy (again), Betty (by people who didn’t believe there is such a name) plus others I’ve mercifully forgotten. Maybe Anne Cooley would be the winner!
I like the name Beppie. It is easy to remember, and it is different. My real name is Jamie, but I have a different last name. My last name would NOT sound right on the cover of a book, believe me! My name is simple, and the last name seems just right for an author in my opinion. But if my editor ever asks me to change it, I will. It will be no problem.
I’m using my own name for two reasons, one I like it and two it’s mine. Should I leave a publishing house (once I’m published), they can’t keep my legal name. Although I know you can have it in the contract to keep pen names as well.
Hey guys, I’m heading over to RT09, so I may not be around much this weekend.
Isn’t it interesting to hear what everybody has to say!
Jamie, I like Jamie Colette a lot. It has a nice smooth ring to it. You’re right — it is right for an author — heaven knows it did very well for Colette herself. Who if I remember right wasn’t really named Colette.
Vicki, I didn’t know that about a publishing house not able to keep your legal name. Now that’s interesting — and a good reason to stick with BH for me. Harrison, I mean. Heaton wouldn’t work!
And have a wonderful time at RT!
I’ll be using my real name for the romance, but I feel like I’ll need a different one for the young adult books.
Well, yes, Melissa, that does make sense. I mean, I do know that a lot of writers have different names for different genres — I suppose Jayne Ann Krentz leaps immediately to mind, but there are a bunch of others, I know. And of course I think virtually all the erotic writers have a different name for their erotica!
Thinking thinking thinking. How nice this isn’t something I need to worry about in the next 15 minutes or so!
Beppie,
When I first started writing I worried about a name, and I decided I wanted to use my mom’s middle and maiden name. It had a nice ring to it, Alice Walker. Smile. I wonder why. I soon learned I couldn’t use it, and I’m sure you know why.
Then I of using my maiden name, but decided that beginning with the last letter in the alphabet wouldn’t place my book by anyone famous, and that was out. Grin.
Finally, my ego got the best of me. I said to heck with it, I’ll use my name. lol
Sandra K. Marshall