What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
~William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
Words have meaning and names have power. ~Author Unknown
The above two quotes seem to counter one another. So, who's right? With all respect to the Bard, as writers, we know words have meaning and power, and names are made up of words. If names weren't important, publishers would not decide the title of a book with such care. How much more important is your own name than the name of a book?
A book's title describes it in the same way your name describes you. A good title draws attention, is memorable and piques a reader's curiosity. So, what about you? Does your name help or hinder your writing career?
Does your name draw the right kind of attention?
People's fates are simplified by their names. ~Elias Canetti
If you are a romance writer with a name like Susan Hart, you're ahead of the game. Susan Hazard has, perhaps, a little more work to do in reaching an audience. Your reader may not make a conscious connection, and I'm not suggesting the author's name is the most important reason a reader decides to buy a book, but why add to the obstacles already before you as a writer? Make sure your name is palatable, or at least that it does not dredge up any negative connotations for a potential purchaser.
Is your name memorable?
Fate tried to conceal him by naming him Smith. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
James Smith and Mary Johnson may want to separate themselves from the pack of others with their names. Why? The familiarity of common names can make them forgettable. Or perhaps your name runs to the opposite end of the spectrum, being hard to pronounce or spell. My own name falls into this category. The last thing you want is for a reader to have trouble finding your books because of a forgettable, hard to pronounce, or difficult to spell name.
Does your name pique curiosity?
Names, once they are in common use, quickly become mere sounds, their etymology being buried, like so many of the earth's marvels, beneath the dust of habit. ~Salman Rushdie
While my last name is hard to spell, my first makes people curious. How did I get such an unusual name? If your name sparks interest, use it to your advantage. If it doesn't, consider adopting one that does.
Does your name suit your genre?
Name is a fence and within it you are nameless. ~Samuli Paronen
It's not uncommon for men who write within genres that cater to a female readership to take female pen names. Similarly, women who write in genres with a male readership sometimes take male pen names. Another way to keep gender low key is to use initials or gender-neutral names.
Is your name permanent?
Bob Marley isn't my name. I don't even know my name yet. ~Bob Marley
Unmarried women writers sometimes encounter a problem when they marry. If they take on their husband's last name, they lose the identity they've built. Some women solve this by tacking on the husbands last name. For instance, Mary Jones becomes Mary Jones Marshall. Or Mary Jones sometimes just remains Mary Jones, whatever her legal name might become.
Solutions
If your name presents a problem, what will you do about it? You can change your name, use only certain parts of it, or configure it in new ways. Some people have strong feelings about keeping their real names and won't consider writing under a pen name. Or perhaps you don't mind a pen name but your spouse or other family member objects. There are still things you can do.
Pen Name. A pen name can afford you privacy and give you a name that will help your career. It can also complicate your life and make you harder to connect with in these days of social networking. I suggest you only go this route if your real name is a real problem.
Use Your Middle Name. Perhaps Agnes Smith has a wonderful and memorable middle name like Cinderella. She could drop the Agnes and become Cinderella Smith.
Use Initials. As mentioned above, the use of initials helps disguise your gender, if that's an issue.
Create a Brand Name. You can create a brand name you link closely with your real name. This works something like a nickname, which you go by in addition to your "real" name. This is the route I chose since my first and last names present spelling challenges but my husband preferred I keep my real name. After much introspection and prayer (and with a lot of brain storming), I came up with the brand name of WaySinger. It's perfect for me because I'm a singer and songwriter as well as an author. As a Christian with a teaching gift, I also point the Way for others. I like that my brand name fits with DawnSinger, book one in my Tales of Faeraven trilogy. I like it, too, because it's easy to remember and easy to spell.
If you decide to create your own brand name, give yourself time to find just the right one. Save yourself a headache and check first that a website is available for your chosen brand name. You can do this easily at GoDaddy.com. I own waysinger.com and redirect traffic from there to janalynvoigt.com. That way, I'm assured others will be able to find my website whether or not they can spell my real name.
Homework
Review your options and decide what name you want to grace the cover of your books. If you choose to create a brand name, reserve the website now.
Next week we'll go into some of the whys and hows of owning a website.
How about you? Which of the naming options will you choose? I'd love to know.
