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column at: DearReader.com
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Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life
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Dear Reader,
One day a week I'm answering questions about writing. Have a question? Thanks for asking. You can reach me at: Suzanne@Emailbookclub.com
I won't be able to send everyone a personal reply, but look for your question and answer in my column.
Today's question:
"Hi Suzanne, I don't have any aspirations toward writing, but I enjoy reading others. However, just out of curiosity, I had a question regarding pseudonyms. Especially some extremely popular authors, why would they write and publish under another name?"
--Marion Z.
(Suzanne replies:) "What's in a name?" It could mean success or failure for an author. Noms de plumes and pen names, there are many reasons why authors choose to conceal their identity, especially if they're established in a particular genre. If an author's been writing thrillers, that's what their audience is expecting when they buy one of their books. If the author would also like to write Women's Fiction, changing genres might confuse some readers, alienate others, and if the author wasn't successful writing in the new genre, it could affect their career.
Age could be another reason for hiding identity. Readers might think an author's too young to write about a particular subject, or that they're too old for the younger audience they're targeting. If gender could possibly pose a marketing issue, because of the subject matter, instantly Alex is Sandra and Cathy is Martin. Or maybe the author's name just doesn't roll of the tongue easily, and a more distinctive name would make their work more memorable and marketable.
To read previous writing questions and answers, go to: http://tinyurl.com/WritingQ-A
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.muffinsandmayhem.com
AUTHORBUZZ: Allie Larkin, today's featured author, writes...
Savannah 'Van' Leone has loved Peter since the day they met, but Peter has loved Van's best friend, Janie, for almost as long. After serving as maid-of-honor at Janie & Peter's wedding, Van drowns her sorrows in Kool Aid-vodka cocktails and reruns of Rin-Tin-Tin, and accidentally buys a German Shepherd over the Internet from Slovakia.
To read more about STAY: A NOVEL goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader
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