Samhain Publishing Ltd. Weblog

A Pen by Any Other Name

Choosing a pen name for a writing career is probably as difficult for most people as choosing a name for a child—and the same amount of thought and care should probably go into the decision. Yet just like those urban legends of parents who name their kids Female (Fuh-MALL-ee) or Lemonjello (Le-MON-juh-lo) or Shithead, there are always going to be pen names out there that will have you wondering just what the heck the author was thinking. So at the prodding of the Samhain staff and in the hopes of keeping authors from being made fun of at the industry playground, here are some tips to keep in mind when choosing your pen name.

Rejections: It's Not You, It's Me

When you get right down to it, the submissions process isn’t that much different from the dating scene. We’re all putting ourselves out there, going on blind dates in the form of queries, testing the waters of the relationship through partials and fulls (will you still respect me if I admit I read fulls on the first date?) and hoping to find that special someone with whom we can share a lasting relationship. Of course, in the case of publishing we’re not exactly talking till death do us part (but check your contract for such clauses!). Most of us wouldn’t turn down a hot fling with the right author—and we’re clearly not talking about a monogamous relationship (heck, some of us are even into three or four at once—you know, for anthologies)—but overall I’d say editors are looking for long-term commitment. We want authors who are interested in building a career with us and who aren’t going to bail as soon as things get tough—or throw us over for a newer, hotter publisher.

So, like a romantic relationship, a strong author-editor relationship has to be built on a strong foundation—one of compatibility, shared values, mutual respect, and even passion. “It’s not you, it’s me” may be the biggest of all dating clichés, but that makes it apt for the submissions process as well, which is every bit as subjective and in which, truly, rejection is often as much about the editor as it is about the manuscript. The actual reasons we reject books are often diverse and varied, but here are some thoughts on rejections as illustrated by common dating clichés.

Take My Advice

Opinions are like unfinished manuscripts. Everyone has one, but not all of them are meant to be shared.

Telling someone you’re writing a book is like handing them an engraved invitation to give creative input. The polite “What’s your book about?” inevitably leads in to “Have you considered…?”, “You should really…” and the ever so helpful “You know, I have an idea for a bestseller…” These well-intentioned interludes aside, no writer is an island—at least, no writer who hopes to publish. And the best way to find out of you have a book that publishers will want to buy is to put it in front of people.

Whether you’re aspiring or published, there are numerous sources of feedback available—author/agent/editor critiques, critique partners, beta readers, contests, rejection letters, revision letters, reviews, reader feedback, and on and on and on. Sure, it’s a good idea to get a variety of reactions, but how do you know what input to incorporate? What if you get opposing reactions? What if you get advice you don’t agree with?