One reason I’ve been too busy to update my blog in the past six months is that I’m working on a kinda secret project. I’ve been writing in a category and genre completely different than I have for the past ten…um, twelve years.
It’s been fun to explore a new genre and to write for a new age category. Really fun. And I plan to work towards publication of this new project.
Hence the big question: to use a pen name or not?
Using my real name will make promotion so much easier. I can build on the base I’ve already created and I won’t have to fear someone finding out who I really am. I won’t have to duplicate social media efforts and have multiple web sites.
But, using a pen name means I can protect my real identity and my reputation as a children’s writer. And just because I’m experimenting with something new doesn’t mean I’m turning my back on my MG and YA projects, so I do need to protect my reputation. Someday, my novels for tweens and teens will be published and I wouldn’t want to confuse my readers.
If you’ve used a pen name, why? How have you handled the marketing and promotion piece? Would you do it differently if you could start over?
If you’ve chosen not to use a pen name, why not?
I’d love to hear from you so please leave a comment with your answer to the above questions or just some support. I wouldn’t have survived this long on the journey without my friends, so thanks to all of you!
YA Author VB Tremper 