Effect of Author's Name

Gosh! I'm no authority on the subject but I find that really surprising. How old are your daughters? Is this a typically teenage view? Perhaps your own daughters aren't the best people to ask, though - you know what our own children generally think of their names at some point or another?? (well, mine do, at any rate)

As for me, well I'd completely disagree. I LOVE unusual names and would probably never have picked up Lemony Snicket for my son (now a favourite) had I not been drawn to it by the fantastic name - it begged reading.

Can't wait to hear other comments on this.

Symphony

I think unusual names are now becoming far more 'acceptable' to children - i.e. it doesn't necessarily put them off. However, I think it also depends to some extent on the genre - I suspect that you're more likely to get away with an unusual name if you write fantasy, whereas gritty realism might require a fairly middle-of-the-road name.

I can't answer, I'm afraid. However, one simple change you can make is to use your first initial rather than your full name. It is still a sad truth that boys are more likely to pick up a book by a male or a not-obviously-female writer. I know several writers who have shortened their first name or chosen a pen-name for just this reason.

However, I don't think you need worry too much at this point - it is an issue that would be discussed with a publisher in the future. Plus, your nephews are a tiny sample of kids their age.

Lainee, I asked my eleven-year-old bookaholic daughter (who loves Emily Rodda's Deltora Quest series, which is similar to what you've described), and she believes the book subject is heaps more important than the author's name. (We're Aussies.) If she wants to read something that's of interest to her, she will, regardless of who wrote it. If kids are picking books off shelves because they only know and are comfortable with the author's name, new authors would never be read.

Moondance is right. That's something for the publisher to worry about when the deal is done. There's one thing I would consider before keeping an unusual name. Would your target audience be able to remember it to tell their friends about you? If it's a name they'd stumble over, I'd consider a pen name. Otherwise, take advantage of the "Lemony Snicket" effect.

I'm certainly not trying to start a debate about men vs. women writers (since that's not what I'm talking about), but when I was a 10 or 13-year old boy, I would have generally selected a book by a male writer over a female one. With all the Harry Potter hoopla, I'm not sure whether boys still do or not, but that might be the biggest part of the reason your nephews said that wouldn't have picked up your book. To them, "girly name" might imply a book for girls.

alleycat said:

To them, "girly name" might imply a book for girls.

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That's where the title and the cover should help out...

Stijn Hommes said:

That's where the title and the cover should help out...

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It might . . . but we're talking about young boys.

I feel your concern. I think most writers male or female writing with protagonists of the opposite gender do. As a female writing with 12 y/o male mc's I expect if I'm ever published that my first name will be changed or an initial. I hope to keep my surname at least. As a teacher who has worked library I have seen that boys will only read books that make them feel like boys and I think a feminine author name MAY be of concern.

alleycat said:

It might . . . but we're talking about young boys.

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I was a young boy not too long ago and always based my library decisions on what the cover looked like (or the contents if I had the time to peek inside). Nowhere did the author name come into the decision. Maybe I was different from the average boy. (Maybe it's a cultural difference between the Netherlands and the US too?)

When I worked in the Children's Bookshop, I found that quite a few children thought that Enid Blyton was a male name.

I don't care what the author's name is.
It could be written by Poopoo T.P. for all I care as long as the story interests me.

Lainee said:

I hope this thread is in the right place.

I've been writing stories for my nephews (9, 10 and 13), who love my stories but tell me that they wouldn't have picked up my books from the shelves because I have a 'funny name'. From what I can tell, it's because of my Asian surname, my 'girly' first name, and that it doesn't 'suit' the type of story I tell (swords and sorcery fantasy, young male protagonist, sarcastic humor).

I'm a little offended that my name would impact young readers to the point that they would pass by my book. To a point, I don't want to homogenize my name so it suits the genre. I am old enough to remember a time when the popular fantasy market was dominated by middle-aged, European men. Though I am pleased that the market has grown from this, I feel that it has not grown to the point where a female, Asian-Australian woman writer does not generate some negative stereotypes.

Someone please tell me I'm wrong: that there have been popular writers (children's fantasy is what I'm interested in, but I'm not picky) that have not fit into the mold of a 'typical' author but have done well regardless.

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I'm wondering if they are just saying this b/c you're auntie and they're just giving you trouble. I wouldn't worry about it. But if want to use another name, that's fine also. But I wouldn't worry about it.

kim

I don't think young boys would even look at the author's name.

J.K.Rowling said she shortened her name because her publisher or agent, don't know which, said that a boy wouldn't read a book by a female. Don't know if another agent or publisher would care though.

In regards to difficult to pronounce names, I agree with everyone else who's said that you should let an agent and/or publisher worry about that one. They'll tell you what they think'll sell more books.

I worry about my name too. It's not unusual, well, to Italians it's probably not, but a lot of people have a hard time pronouncing it. Since I write MG, the last thing I want to do is confuse a young reader. They may not care but why take a chance. I wish I could come up with a catchy single name. Yeah, that would be cool.

But, I think I would wait for an editor/agent to give some advice on it. It may not be a big deal.

Such a bummer when we women can write that sort of thing as well as any guy!

I don't write fantasy in the way of wizards and such, but I am into some time travel. I've three novels in progress, one story is told by an eleven year old boy who has a twin sister. He has no self confidence while she has enough for both of them and then some. Story centers around how they deal with the new kid in class who's also Class A bragger and pain in the neck. Also featured is an abandoned cat they take in, plus their air hockey playing mom.

The next is a YA with a girl as mc, and she lives in a household of a bunch of brothers--full, step and half. So many ways I can go with this, I plan a series for her.

The third is the time travel which I originally wrote for my youngest son's fifth grade class seven or eight years ago. Did it through multiple POVs. Each chapter is told through either my son, Quenton, one or the other of his two fictional sisters (I didn't happen to get any daughters), or my oldest son. Seemed to work for the class when they finally heard it. It was critiqued by a published writer at a workshop I attended back then. She didn't shoot me down for it, so I kept it. The reason for it is that the kids all end up in different areas around the fictional town of ClarksTowne, South Dakota. One bunch of kids ends up at an orphanage, another in a Sioux village, and a smaller group in the company of outlaws. The fourth bunch is still in the present, reading about what's happened to the others in history books and fictional works, and trying to decide how best to cope with the whole situation.

My boys will read books by anyone who can hold their interest and who writes the sort of fantasy they most treasure. Nope, Harry Potter is not a series they've considered worthy of their time. They claim to prefer what they call the "purist" form. I've heard wizards ride brooms in Harry Potter, which, to my boys, is a serious no no. They had other objections, but that's the only one I can think off right now. Too stinking hot to think!

I write under three or four pens. But, I didn't arrive at my romance pen until after my parents passed away nine years ago. Missing them tremendously at the time, I paired their last names together as Davis-Wilson and choose a variation of my childhood nickname which was NeeNee--(now pared down to a more "adult" Neene)--Neenah to go with it.

YAs and kids' novels are under my own name. Or, A.M. Shaw or A.W. Shaw. My husband was a little bit upset that I didn't want to use Shaw for the romances. Gotta keep the hubby happy, so I came up with those compromises! The picture book(s) are simply nita. Or nita marie.

I just felt the need to keep the genre separate in case Joannie's mom--who thinks I do the most adorable picture books--takes exception to the fact I also write romance. Might not matter to her there's no steamy sex scenes in it. And she won't, therefore, buy my YA or kids' novels for Jake and Jaine, either.

Even if you do wait for the agent/publisher to mention something, you could give some thought, in the meantime, as to who you might like to become for this type of story just in case they feel it's a good idea.

However, if you really do not want to use any other name but your own, then go with it--as others have also said. Like my boys, I care more about the quality of the story than whether the author has a name I can pronounce or has a "funny" one. You might very well be one of the authors I actually would remember!

Anita

NiennaC said:

J.K.Rowling said she shortened her name because her publisher or agent, don't know which, said that a boy wouldn't read a book by a female. Don't know if another agent or publisher would care though.

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Since almost any boy who reads the Harry Potter books now know they're written by a woman, I don't think it's important at all. The readership has only gone up, not down.

That said, it helps that the MC is a boy. I'm more interested in finding out how she got girls to read about a boy MC...

Stijn Hommes said:

Since almost any boy who reads the Harry Potter books now know they're written by a woman, I don't think it's important at all. The readership has only gone up, not down.

That said, it helps that the MC is a boy. I'm more interested in finding out how she got girls to read about a boy MC...

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I often thought that using JK was the smartest thing she could have done. You'd hate to think in this day & age that a woman doesn't hold the same placing as a man but sadly sometimes is does still in some areas. Now of course it doesn't matter since the books are so popular & hopefully she has changed some opinions if someone out there still thinks a woman can't write as well as a man.

My daughter and I are big "the way the cover looks" shoppers - we don't notice names. Put a dragon or hint of magic on it - wrap it up!

As for girls reading about a boy - hands down - easy. If you can have a crush on your MC - even better
I myself have the "hots" for 2 of my MC's in my 2nd book. Good thing its a book cause my thoughts would take me to jail for their age

alleycat said:

I'm certainly not trying to start a debate about men vs. women writers (since that's not what I'm talking about), but when I was a 10 or 13-year old boy, I would have generally selected a book by a male writer over a female one. With all the Harry Potter hoopla, I'm not sure whether boys still do or not, but that might be the biggest part of the reason your nephews said that wouldn't have picked up your book. To them, "girly name" might imply a book for girls.

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In the beginning, R.K.Rowlings had no gender, if I remember correctly. It wasn't till her first book became a hit that her identity was revealed.

I choose a pen name with the initials of my first and middle name and my families original surname before Ellis Island.

K.M. Micciolo

I hope it will help me to avoid gender discrimination.

Oddly I tried the same thing, A. S. Kress, but my agent said I should go with my full name. So I did.

Step one: write a publishable book (hard part)

Step two: worry about the title and author name (easy part)

Let's not put the cart before the horse here. It's all about the book. Always. The rest is details.

Jimmer

Yeah, don't worry about the name. I don't think most kids even look at the author's name when buying a book.

This is coming from a guy who's last name begins with a Z which means I'm always shelved near the very end of SF section in stores. (Which somehow almost always seems to be a very low level shelf in the back corner of the store.)

I'm a girl with a big, clunky ethnic last name, and I'm getting published under my real name.

Ah, well. We'll see what happens.