I'm hitting the deadline and need to decide what name I'll publish my Shakespeare's Witch series under. Many of my writer friends are using pen-names. I thought I'd go with J.D. Stevens. J.D. for Jodee (get it?) and Stevens would be a shortened, easier to remember and spell derivative of my true name. But when I surfed the web yesterday I was surprised to see how far my Jodee Steffensen name had gone to establish me as an author.
Such a dilemma!
Why a pen-name? First, it's gender neutral and men hesitate to read work by female authors (sorry guys, but research has found it to be true.) Second, historical authors often use their initials. I guess it gives them more gravity. Third, authors use different pen-names for different genres thinking it helps clarify which genre the reader is purchasing. Fourth, it may compensate for a name that's difficult to remember and/or spell.
All of these arguments apply to me.
So dear reader (whoever you are), send me some comments. Do you prefer J.D. Steffensen (not much of a change), J.D. Stevens (easy to remember but completely new in terms of establishing a marketing platform), or just stick with Jodee Steffensen as author for the Shakespeare's Witch series.
Feedback VERY much appreciated!
Such a dilemma!
Why a pen-name? First, it's gender neutral and men hesitate to read work by female authors (sorry guys, but research has found it to be true.) Second, historical authors often use their initials. I guess it gives them more gravity. Third, authors use different pen-names for different genres thinking it helps clarify which genre the reader is purchasing. Fourth, it may compensate for a name that's difficult to remember and/or spell.
All of these arguments apply to me.
So dear reader (whoever you are), send me some comments. Do you prefer J.D. Steffensen (not much of a change), J.D. Stevens (easy to remember but completely new in terms of establishing a marketing platform), or just stick with Jodee Steffensen as author for the Shakespeare's Witch series.
Feedback VERY much appreciated!
RSS Feed
