Hello, dear readers! I hope this post finds you well. I’m drowning in book business, as usual. Today’s angst is the result of choosing a pen name for my new adventure into fiction. It’s an important element in author branding, and also as a separation from other genres and alter-egos.
Authors choose pen names often, especially when crossing genre lines. For example, as a Nora Roberts fan, I know to expect a romance storyline. Nora’s books written as J.D. Robb are futuristic suspense in nature. She has other pen names as well. While I love her books written as Nora, J.D. Robb’s style is not my cup of tea. The difference in author nomenclature allows me to pick what I love easily and without confusion.
Pen name strategy is basic author branding. Tina Truax is a known nonfiction author with an established brand, platform, and alter ego as the Girl on the Right. I can’t (and shouldn’t) muddy the waters. The fiction I write is more serious in tone, and is make-believe. While I still use words to examine the human experience, my style, voice, and tone is vastly different from my prior work.
I’ve spent several days using online name generators, and digging into my personal life to put together a few options. I’ve checked the availability of domain names and Amazon conflicts, and whether any of my chosen options are in conflict with Google searches and famous people. There really is a lot to consider, and can be disappointing when you fall in love with the perfect pen name, only to discover that it wouldn’t serve your brand well.
After a long period of pairing and researching, I’m down to my final two, and leaving it to you, dear readers, to choose. I’ve done the hard part, all you have to do is choose what rolls off your tongue most pleasantly.
Tina Truax 