What’s in a Name? When to Use a Pen Name: Guest Post by Sarah Rexman
May 24, 2012 by Lillie
Many famous authors have used pen names. Some even used more than one: Samuel Clemens wrote under his own name, as well as Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, Louis de Conte, and his most famous pseudonym of all, Mark Twain.
Authors may choose to write under an alias for personal reasons or business reasons, and those decisions are often influenced by cultural and marketing dynamics. If you are thinking of using a pen name, consider some of the most common reasons that other authors have chosen to write under a different moniker:
Your Real Name is Too Weird or Common
Is your real name John Smith or something else that is equally common? If you publish under your real name, it may be difficult to stand out and develop your brand. Choosing a pen name will help readers distinguish you from all the other John Smiths, whether they are working as writers or accountants.
Or, on the other hand, is your real name Aparicio Poppocropoulous? If your name is too strange, hard to pronounce, or hard to understand, it will be difficult for readers to remember your name or to find it when they search for your work online.
Your Real Name is Famous
Through some twist of fate or happy coincidence, do you share a name with Angelina Jolie? Or Leonardo DiCaprio? Maybe your parents were big fans of Brad Pitt or George Clooney and decided to name you after them.
If you share a name with a famous person, a pen name can help you to distinguish yourself. That way, when someone sees a book written by “Brad Pitt,” they will make the proper assumption that it is written by THE Brad Pitt instead of becoming disappointed when they find out it is you instead. Don’t let your name get in the way of enjoying your book.
You Want to Protect Your Identity
Even if you start publishing novels or other books, you may not be able to quit your day job. Using a pen name to publish your work can help you to keep your professional endeavors separate – either because you don’t want your boss to think you’ll leave your job once a book sells well, or because you are writing about topics that could be controversial or present a conflict of interest for your job.
On the other hand, you may become wildly successful once you start publishing, quickly earning fame and fortune. If you worry that you won’t be able to handle the scrutiny of fame well, a pen name can help you protect your real identity so that you can fly under the radar when you are out buying groceries or having a meal with your family.
You Write in Multiple Genres
If you write young adult fiction under your real name, it might be advisable to adopt a pen name when you decide to start writing erotica. Or if you write romance stories under your real name, you might decide to choose a pen name when you try your hand at war thrillers.
Your name becomes your brand, and if you want to change your brand significantly by writing in a new genre that differs dramatically from the one in which you are known, using a pen name can help you to distinguish those brands and to ensure that you don’t alienate or confuse readers.
The decision to use a pen name is often a personal one, but it can have ramifications for your brand and your success. Have you used a pen name for your writing? Tell us your reasons in the comments!
About the Author:
Sarah Rexman is the main researcher and writer for BedBugs.org. Her most recent accomplishment includes graduating from Florida State, with a master’s degree in environmental science. Her main focus for the bedbugs site involves answering many questions such as, “what do bed bugs look like?”.
Thanks to April 2012 Commenters
May 21, 2012 by Lillie
Thank you to the 62 commenters who left 109 comments in April. Your comments extended the conversation and added value and interest, and I enjoyed replying to every one of them.
Every month when I post thanks to commenters, I get questions about how I compile this list. I have explained my system in detail in Compiling Thanks to Commenters.
Armed Forces Day 2012
May 19, 2012 by Lillie
The third Saturday in May each year is designated as Armed Forces Day, to honor and celebrate all five branches of the US military: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The observance began in 1949 after the military services were consolidated in the Department of Defense.
Armed Forces Day occurs during Military Appreciation Month, the month of May.
Thank you to everyone who has served our country or who is serving in the military today. Thank you to their families and loved ones who sacrifice so the military members can protect us.
O LORD God of Hosts, stretch forth, we pray thee, thine almighty arm to strengthen and protect the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines of our country. Support them in the day of battle, and in the time of peace keep them safe from all evil; endue them with courage and loyalty; and grant that in all things they may serve without reproach; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ~ 1928 Book of Common Prayer
Writers Worth Week 2012
May 15, 2012 by Lillie
Lori Widmer at Words on the Page started Writers Worth Day five years ago to encourage writers to recognize their own worth. Since then the day has expanded into a week, and this year will be two weeks or more. Lori is posting Writers Worth guest posts for writers to encourage and motivate others to value their own worth as professionals. I highly recommend you stop by every day and read all the posts and that you seriously evaluate your own worth as a writer. If you don’t value your own work, how can you expect clients to appreciate the value of your expertise?
Mother’s Day 2012
May 13, 2012 by Lillie
Happy Mother’s Day!
May each reader enjoy a special day:
- If you’re a mother, may you be honored and pampered by your children.
- If you have a mother, may you enjoy special time honoring and pampering her.
- If your mother is no longer with you, may you recall special memories of your times together.
- If you know a mother without a family, may you stand in the stead of children for her and make her day meaningful.
- If you are estranged from your family, may this be the day you forgive each other and start a new loving relationship.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. ~ Exodus 20:12 (ESV)
ALMIGHTY God, we give you thanks for mothers who love and care for us and entrust our mothers who are so dear to us to thy never-failing care and love, for this life and the life to come; knowing that thou art doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Fibromyalgia Awareness Day 2012
May 12, 2012 by Lillie
About 30 years ago, when I was in my mid-30s, I was experiencing fatigue and pain throughout my body. My old-time doctor attributed it to overwork and stress. One day I picked up a women’s magazine and read a cover story about fibromyalgia. The article, which showed an outline of a body with specific tender points indicated, stated that having most of these tender points was a sign of fibromyalgia. I had almost every one of the tender points, and when I read that fatigue and widespread pain throughout the body are symptoms of fibromyalgia, I was convinced I had found the answer to my problems.
I took the article to my family doctor. He said he wasn’t really sure that fibromyalgia existed, but he would refer me to a rheumatologist. The rheumatologist told me that I was lucky because my fibromyalgia was so mild. He said most of his patients were either bed-ridden or confined to a wheelchair, and since I was ambulatory and able to hold down a job, I should be thankful. Then he went on to prescribe a powerful drug that had been in the news because of its potential danger to cause heart attacks. If my fibromyalgia was so mild, why did I need such a potentially dangerous drug? I left, threw the prescription away, and never went back to the rheumatologist.
Through the years, I have managed my pain with over-the-counter medications, and on the rare occasions when that didn’t control the pain well enough to keep me functional, I would get a short-term prescription for stronger pain relievers. I seldom mentioned that I had fibromyalgia because I know so many people with the syndrome have so much more difficulty than I did. I’ve never posted about fibromyalgia awareness before—perhaps I felt like my “mild” fibromyalgia didn’t qualify me to speak about the condition.
However, in the last couple of years, my symptoms have been getting much worse. I’m on several prescription medications from my family doctor (not my doctor from 30 years ago who has long since retired) and have now accepted a referral to another rheumatologist. I’m writing this post is at the very end of the calendar day on Fibromyalgia Awareness Day because I have been in bed with heat and massage and pain pills for most of the week. I guess now I’m qualified to talk about the condition.
According to the National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association:
Fibromyalgia (pronounced fy-bro-my-AL-ja) is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially. Fibromyalgia is a central nervous system illness and is also referred to as a syndrome rather than a disease. Unlike a disease, which is a medical condition with a specific cause or causes and recognizable signs and symptoms, a syndrome is a collection of signs, symptoms, and medical problems that tend to occur together but are not related to a specific, identifiable cause.
Fibromyalgia, which has also been referred to as fibromyalgia syndrome, fibromyositis and fibrositis, is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and can be accompanied by psychological distress that comes with all chronic illnesses. For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities.
You can find more information on the association’s website.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or suspects they have it, learn all you can and take appropriate action. Medication may be needed, but lifestyle changes, such as managing sleep, diet, and exercise, can also help.
Each individual needs to find what is most effective for him or her. My next step is to lose weight—being overweight doesn’t cause fibromyalgia, but I know from experience that I tend to have less pain when I weigh less. The severe pain I have been experiencing should be a good motivator to get serious about losing weight!
Do you have or do you know someone who has fibromyalgia? If so, do you have any tips about dealing with this condition to share in comments?
A Bad Conference Experience
May 8, 2012 by Lillie
Attending writing conferences can be an excellent way for writers, both new and experienced, to learn new skills and improve their craft.
Recently a writer friend asked on Facebook if anyone had ever been to a bad or unprofessional conference, and, if so, what made it bad or unprofessional. I responded with an experience I had at a national conference I attended not long after I started to write.
The content of the conference was fabulous and very professionally presented. However, it was held in a luxury hotel in New York City, and the meeting rooms were on three floors connected by escalators. Unfortunately, at the time I was on a motorized scooter and at least four other attendees were in wheelchairs or scooters. Obviously we couldn’t use the escalators, but the two upper floors of the conference levels had no other means of access.
Workshops were held on all three floors with only a few minutes between each session. I wasn’t able to attend the specific workshops I wanted because I had no way to get to the right floor, so I had to pick workshops that were held on the one floor I could reach. I still learned an incredible amount, even if it wasn’t exactly what I had planned to learn.
At the end of the final conference day, I was so exhausted I could barely sit upright on the scooter. The elevators were so crowded I couldn’t get the scooter in. Although others had to wait a while, eventually everyone else got on the elevators, leaving me alone on the second floor.
I sat there for almost an hour before I finally got the attention of a hotel employee setting up for an event and told him I had to have help or I would collapse. He said he would send help but no one came. Finally I went back where he was working and asked for help again. He called security, and after what seemed like an eternity, a security guard finally arrived and led me through the kitchens to the service elevator and got me back to my room.
The registration form for the conference even asked about special needs, and I had plainly indicated that I required handicap access. So it wasn’t like someone shouldn’t have been prepared for those of us who couldn’t handle the escalator/elevator situation.
No matter how wonderful the workshops are, a conference isn’t very useful to attendees who have no access to the meeting rooms.
National Day of Prayer 2012
May 3, 2012 by Lillie
Today is the annual National Day of Prayer to “to mobilize prayer in America and to encourage personal repentance and righteousness in the culture.”
Visit the website to learn about local and national prayer events.
Here is the official national prayer for today from the NDOP website:
2012 NATIONAL PRAYER
Dr. David Jeremiah – NDP Honorary ChairmanHeavenly Father,
Every good gift and perfect gift comes from You. You are a faithful God and Your mercy endures forever.
You have promised to bless the nation that trusts in You. Our currency proclaims “In God We Trust,” but in our culture we are far from You.
In the words of the prophet Daniel, “We have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.”
We come before You once more, seeking Your forgiveness and mercy. You, O God, are our only hope… Hear our prayer and, for Your honor’s sake, shine Your face upon this nation.
Give our leaders the desire to seek Your wisdom and the courage to follow Your guidance… and watch over the men and women of our armed forces as they sacrifice for the cause of freedom.
We give You thanks for all You have done for us, and we earnestly pray that You will help us become, once again, a nation whose God is the Lord.
In the name of Your Son, and our Savior, we pray this prayer.
Amen.
May 2012 Is Stroke Awareness Month
May 1, 2012 by Lillie
May is National Stroke Awareness Month. As I’ve written about before, I had a stroke 20 years ago, and I don’t want you or someone you love to go through that.
To learn what stroke is, risk factors, prevention, how to recognize when someone is having a stroke and what to do about it, and more, visit the National Stroke Association website and read some of my previous posts:
- May Is Stroke Awareness Month
- National Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – the Beginning
- National Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – The Next Three Days
- National Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – the Aftermath
- National Stroke Awareness Month: Stroke Risk Factors and Symptoms
- Stroke Awareness Month 2011
Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause for long-term disability. If you don’t want to be a part of those statistics, educate yourself about stroke during Stroke Awareness Month.
Internet Evangelism Day 2012
April 29, 2012 by Lillie
Today is Internet Evangelism Day.
According to the website:
Digital media have transformed the world in the last 15 years. We have entered a new ‘digital communication culture’ where all the rules for effective communication have changed. Even offline!
There are 2+ billion web users, and over 4 billion people use mobile phones (increasingly these are web-equipped). The Web is not just another means of communication, but a hyper-medium that subsumes, links together, and enhances all previous media.
Read more at Internet Evangelism Day.
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
As I mentioned in My Reading Plan Was Random; God’s Wasn’t, I read a number of Christian nonfiction books during Lent that I thought were randomly chosen. Yet they all emphasized that every Christian has a call and an absolute obligation evangelize. My husband and I have some health issues and don’t get out much, so the Internet is my primary connection to the world.
Although my original focus for this blog was writing, editing, and publishing, through the years, I have discovered it offers a wonderful opportunity for me to share my faith. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, the Life—our only salvation and the only way to Heaven, and I want you to see you in Heaven!
