The Name Game by Jacqueline Seewald

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare has Juliet ask: “what’s in a name?” Well, apparently a whole lot! For instance, choosing the right name for a character is a key element in reader conceptualization of a character. Hollywood understood this a long time ago, and that’s why so many actors and actresses were told they had to change their names to conform to their motion picture images. It’s the same way people choose their pets’ names. If you have a toy poodle, for example, you might name it something like Fluffy, while if you own a pit bull you might select a more aggressive moniker like Killer.

What about author names? Should authors use their real names on their writing or should they use pseudonyms? Is branding a help or hindrance to writers? There’s been a lot of discussion among writers as to whether it benefits authors to be branded--by that I mean that writers want to market themselves by promoting their name, associating their name with a particular type, genre or style of writing.The premise? This is the best way to build a readership. For instance, when we see the name Nora Roberts we immediately think of romantic suspense. “Nora Roberts,” real name Eleanor Marie Robertson, also writes under “J.D. Robb” for her mystery series. The name Stephen King is immediately associated with horror, but he has chosen to write under other pseudonyms as well. Jayne Ann Krentz writes her contemporary romances under that name, her sci-fi/fantasy under Jayne Castle, and her historical romances under Amanda Quick. The advantage is that fans know what to expect.

Many writers choose to use pen names. They write in a variety of genres and assume a different nom de plume for each. The theory is that it will confuse readers if writers use the same name for different types of work. There is also a tendency for publishers to try to place writers in neat categories. It’s more convenient to connect a name to a particular format. Harlequin was famous for insisting that writers have romantic sounding nom de plumes.

But what if you resist branding? Are you destroying your chance to be taken seriously as a writer or build a readership? I don’t have the answer to this question. I can only admit that I don’t limit myself to one particular format in my writing. My books are not “in the box.” I have written romantic mysteries, historical romances, YA mysteries and romances, as well as children’s books and stories. All of these appear under my own name.

However, there is an exception. When I write short stories from a masculine viewpoint, I use my initials. So, for example, my novella for SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY MAGAZINE (Issue #19) entitled “Letter of the Law” is credited to “J.P. Seewald” rather than Jacqueline Seewald. A lot of female writers do this because men seem to prefer reading stories and novels ostensibly written by other men, especially when presented from a masculine viewpoint.

Personally, I am very comfortable writing from a male viewpoint and I also enjoy reading books written by members of the opposite sex as well as other women. My husband and I had two sons to raise which made me accustomed to the male perspective. However, male readers may not find a female author writing from a male perspective acceptable or credible. For this reason I chose to write THE BURNING, written entirely from a male point of view, under the author name J. P. Seewald. This was not to fool readers but merely to make clear that the novella was appropriate reading for both men and women. It is not a romance or a mystery but a serious literary work.

                             http://annorlundaenterprises.com/books/the-burning/

There are also a number of male authors who write women’s romances as well as mysteries under female pseudonyms. I know of several, and their novels are very popular.

What is your opinion? Does branding by name recognition benefit writers or is it not really important? Your thoughts and comments are welcome.