Multiple genres for short fic

Nope!

I think there might be agents who would want you to separate your different genre short stories from you, the novelist by using a pen name.

But you are not writing novels and prefer short stories so stick to being XYZ the short story writer. I cannot see any advantage or disadvantage to having multiple pen names.

Idk, Effie. I read a thingy somewhere about Dean Koontz - that he'd initially marketed himself as SF/F, but when his sales were limited or something similar, he changed his genre to "fiction" and the rest, as they say, is history.

I use a pen name for my erotic dark fiction and my own name for my other dark fiction simply because erotica is touchy for a lot of people. Having my filth under my pen name isn't a secret, more of a code for "psst! Filth inside!" If/when I sell any of my children's stories, they'll go under another pen name. (I mean, how many people would buy a children's picture book with the name of an adult level dark fiction/erotica author on the front?) I had been saying "horror" and "erotic horror" but then not all my stories are actually horror. They're just dark.

Depending on your genre jump, you might not need one.

Barbara Michaels uses a couple different pseudonyms to separate her ghost/horror/dark from the couple other genres she writes - so readers can know what to expect from each name.

EFCollins said:

Well, I mean, I do write novels. They are just very crappy novels.

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I take offense to that comment, my dear. They are not crappy novels. Do I have to smack you?

EFCollins said:

However, I have kids' stories that I want to publish and some romance and suspense stories I'd like to send out. The real problem is the kids stories.

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I would go with a pen name for the kids' stuff and your real name for everything else, unless you want to come up with something fancy for the romance stories.

LaurieD said:

Idk, Effie. I read a thingy somewhere about Dean Koontz - that he'd initially marketed himself as SF/F, but when his sales were limited or something similar, he changed his genre to "fiction" and the rest, as they say, is history.

I use a pen name for my erotic dark fiction and my own name for my other dark fiction simply because erotica is touchy for a lot of people. Having my filth under my pen name isn't a secret, more of a code for "psst! Filth inside!" If/when I sell any of my children's stories, they'll go under another pen name. (I mean, how many people would buy a children's picture book with the name of an adult level dark fiction/erotica author on the front?) I had been saying "horror" and "erotic horror" but then not all my stories are actually horror. They're just dark.

Depending on your genre jump, you might not need one.

Barbara Michaels uses a couple different pseudonyms to separate her ghost/horror/dark from the couple other genres she writes - so readers can know what to expect from each name.

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EFCollins said:

See, this genre jump is what gets me. Everything I've had published (which isn't much, I admit) has been strictly horror. I wouldn't want a little kid to find something I'd written for the kids market, see a link with "Effie" on it, and end up at SNM horror magazine, which is soooo not a kids place to read. Nor would I want people who read my romance to follow a link and end up reading some of my cannibal stories.

This is why I asked... and why I'm confused and hesitant to try and sub out anything other than horror.

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SEND. IT. OUT.

There is nothing limiting you with short stories, just keep on kicking them out of the nest and see if they fly.

The more publications you get, in any genre, will help future stories snowball.

I write primarily in mystery & science fiction genres - but have also published in romance, horror and non-fiction. I do it all under my real name. I've never had a problem with it.

That said - I do not write childrens' stuff or erotica, if I did I might think about a pen name just for those (different for each)

I use pseudonyms for some genres of short stories to avoid confusion, but it certainly isn't necessay. Short story salkes can actuallyhelp novel sales greatly, so there's no reason at all to use a different name simply because you sell novels.

LaurieD said:

Idk, Effie. I read a thingy somewhere about Dean Koontz - that he'd initially marketed himself as SF/F, but when his sales were limited or something similar, he changed his genre to "fiction" and the rest, as they say, is history.

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Dean Koontz simply stopped writing science fiction, bought up the rights to the SF he had written and published, and pulled it from the market.

He didn't switch to "fiction". Fiction isn't a genre. He started writing horror, and ultimately settled on suspense, which is what he primarily writes today.

Jamesaritchie said:

I use pseudonyms for some genres of short stories to avoid confusion, but it certainly isn't necessay. Short story salkes can actuallyhelp novel sales greatly, so there's no reason at all to use a different name simply because you sell novels.

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Right!

Jamesaritchie said:

He didn't switch to "fiction". Fiction isn't a genre. .

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Thank you!