Thursday, November 09, 2006

Just in time

Goodness, I almost didn't think I would get to post today, but there are about twenty-four minutes left in the day. If I type fast and keep it fairly short, I think I'll make it.

I've been trying to find some information on pen names or pseudonyms. After coming up with my non-fiction ideas, I've become rather excited about finding time for them. I did a little reading and there were a few suggestions that if someone chooses to do both fiction and non-fiction, using two different names can be beneficial. There were several reasons for this but the main one was that non-fiction is truthful and that what is written can alienate your fiction readers. Before they could believe anything a writer wrote wasn't necessarily what the writer believed but rather what the characters had to believe to make the story work. In non-fiction there is no hiding behind that and most people tend to write non-fiction to reflect their views. Even if it doesn't, it can be hard for some readers to believe otherwise.

This all makes perfect sense to me. A lot of the reason I don't discuss subjects such as politics, at least not in depth, here on my blog is because I don't want to scare potential readers away and it is easy for people to misunderstand and misjudge when facts are printed that lean in a certain direction.

I probably spent a little too much time today looking into using pen names and I didn't find much that was helpful. Do I have to register this name or does it depend on the circumstances of individual situations? And when I submit queries to a publisher which name do I use? And do I tell them what the other name is? And not to sound materialistic but what about getting paid, if that should ever happen?
Stop laughing, it could happen!

Well I guess I'll have to continue to research and hope to get something written as well.
I think I'm gonna make it in time and not ruin NaBloPoMo.


Just watched: The Office (I know I should have been working on my post but everyone needs a little break!)

3 comments:

D.B. Echo said...

I was getting worried!

D.B. Echo said...

By the way, are you aware that I live and work right around Scranton, where The Office is set? I live about 30 miles southwest of there and work about 3 miles northeast. I went to the University of Scranton.

I don't watch the show much, because I acually work in an environment like that and it hits too close to home. But locals who do watch it love it. Every week the D.J.'s on the local rock station mentioned several times on the show (Rock 107) discuss and analyze that week's episode, and go through the list of local references.

Anonymous said...

IIRC, _Writer's Market_ (an annual publication) has information on how one goes about submitting works for publication under a pen name. I believe it involves submitting works as Real Name writing as Pen Name, but it's been years since I looked, so I'm not sure what all else you do.