Changing Names

Rochester · May 21, 2010

When someone gets an agent, is it a given that the agent will talk to the person about their name?

Does the agent way in on the name your using and other variations you could potentially use?

Mishell · May 21, 2010

I think the name thing is entirely left up to the author, though the agent may have advice about when using multiple names will help your career and when it will hurt.

Albannach · May 21, 2010

It was something I discussed at length with my agent. I felt for political reasons it would be best if my name was not on my work and after discussing it, he agreed.

JSSchley · May 21, 2010

Albannach, I take that to mean that you had nothing set up using a pen name before talking to your agent?

This is directly related to the question I just posed Kathleen Ortiz. I know I'll need a pen name because of my field of work, but at the same time, I feel (and agent blogs have agreed) that it's awfully presumptive to have it out there at the query stage. I assume you waited until you had representation?

Rochester · May 22, 2010

I've been getting published lately, mostly flash fiction stuff, and I've been using a shortened version of my first name along with my last name... and I'm not sure I want to use it forever, but I figure I shouldn't bother changing it until someone who knows what they are talking about specifically tells me what they think, like an agent.

Albannach · May 23, 2010

JSSchley said:
Albannach, I take that to mean that you had nothing set up using a pen name before talking to your agent?

This is directly related to the question I just posed Kathleen Ortiz. I know I'll need a pen name because of my field of work, but at the same time, I feel (and agent blogs have agreed) that it's awfully presumptive to have it out there at the query stage. I assume you waited until you had representation?

I'm not quite sure what you're asking. I was already published before I signed with an agent.

As far as "set up" using a pen name, you really don't set anything up. You just do it or don't.

It you intend to use a pen name it is usual to put the pen name in your byline and I did so. There is nothing presumptuous about it as far as I'm concerned. I was not sending out queries for the fun of it but to get my work published which, of course, agents were aware of.

Edit: Then he brought the subject up because of the byline. I confirmed I thought I should and explained why, although that is pretty much any author's prerogative. We went from there.

suki · May 23, 2010

It's not a *given* that your agent will raise the issue - ie, if you don't ask about the issue, it's not automatic that your agent will raise the issue. The agent may not perceive any reason for you to consider a pen name, for example, unless you provide the information that you believe may make a pen name advisable. He or she will usually, at some point, ask you how exactly you envision your name to look on your published works. But your agent may not raise the issue of a pen name if you don't raise the issue.

However, you can raise the issue of a possible pen name with your agent.

Also, your eventual publisher may also raise the issue, if they see an advantage from a pen name for example.

~suki

JSSchley · May 23, 2010

Albannach said:
I'm not quite sure what you're asking. I was already published before I signed with an agent.

As far as "set up" using a pen name, you really don't set anything up. You just do it or don't.

It you intend to use a pen name it is usual to put the pen name in your byline and I did so. There is nothing presumptuous about it as far as I'm concerned. I was not sending out queries for the fun of it but to get my work published which, of course, agents were aware of.

Edit: Then he brought the subject up because of the byline. I confirmed I thought I should and explained why, although that is pretty much any author's prerogative. We went from there.

Sorry, I should've been more specific. I meant e-mail addresses and the like. I know I'll need a pen name for professional reasons; I figured I'd put it in my byline when people request fulls. But I've seen at least two agents recommend you have at least some web presence as an author before querying, which to me seems to imply you'd have your pen name out there. To me, that seems silly and also seems to project an attitude of, "I'm hot stuff, you're gonna publish me, so I need this baby now." Now, while I have confidence in the quality of my work, I'm not an arrogant prick, so I've just been trying to gather data on whether or not people have actually done this or not. It sounds like you are in the "no" category.

Also, because I couldn't see suki's reply: yeah, exactly. That's why I've been so confused. I really think the pen name conversation is one you have far later in the game, with weigh-in from the agent and publisher. So it surprises me to see reputable agents saying, "You should have a dedicated e-mail for your writing" and "you should have some sort of web site" because, well, what if my publisher would prefer I don't use that name?

Jamesaritchie · May 23, 2010

JSSchley said:
Sorry, I should've been more specific. I meant e-mail addresses and the like. I know I'll need a pen name for professional reasons; I figured I'd put it in my byline when people request fulls. But I've seen at least two agents recommend you have at least some web presence as an author before querying, which to me seems to imply you'd have your pen name out there. To me, that seems silly and also seems to project an attitude of, "I'm hot stuff, you're gonna publish me, so I need this baby now." Now, while I have confidence in the quality of my work, I'm not an arrogant prick, so I've just been trying to gather data on whether or not people have actually done this or not. It sounds like you are in the "no" category.

Also, because I couldn't see suki's reply: yeah, exactly. That's why I've been so confused. I really think the pen name conversation is one you have far later in the game, with weigh-in from the agent and publisher. So it surprises me to see reputable agents saying, "You should have a dedicated e-mail for your writing" and "you should have some sort of web site" because, well, what if my publisher would prefer I don't use that name?

It matters not at all, and an agent should have nothing whatsoever to do with you pseudonym. It's simply senseless to even think about a pseudonym until after you sell something. And even then, you'll almost certainly still use your real name on everything that matters.

Nor should you listen to any agent who says you need a web presence before querying. That agent is just not very bright where publishing is concerned, and apparently doesn't even know that you'll have at least eighteen months to establish a web presence after the book sells, and probably at least two years from the time you first query the agent.

JSSchley · May 23, 2010

Jamesaritchie said:
It matters not at all, and an agent should have nothing whatsoever to do with you pseudonym. It's simply senseless to even think about a pseudonym until after you sell something. And even then, you'll almost certainly still use your real name on everything that matters.

Nor should you listen to any agent who says you need a web presence before querying. That agent is just not very bright where publishing is concerned, and apparently doesn't even know that you'll have at least eighteen months to establish a web presence after the book sells, and probably at least two years from the time you first query the agent.

Thanks, that's helpful. I had always felt that the pen names are just that, but I've seen SO MUCH lately as I've been researching agents and the query process about people "getting themselves out there" with blogs and e-mails with their pen names and then after seeing a couple of decently reputable agents seem to suggest that route, I was kind of taken aback. (The agent who is most adamant about web presence and e-mail addresses is Janet Reid, of Fine Print Literary, and I would...hesitate...to suggest that her stance on this comes from a lack of knowledge of the publishing process.)

I do, though, disagree that there's no place for the publisher in the pen name discussion. I know that when I was working at a non fiction house, a lot of times we had very good and strong reasons to make suggestions that our authors use or not use a pen name (and sometimes we had opinions on exactly which one they needed to use). Fiction is different, I know, but I don't expect that, should my ms. get picked up, my agent and publisher will have NO opinion or that I'll just steamroll them if they do. I'm not that special.

Changing Names

Rochester

Mishell

That Clarion chick!

Albannach

AW Addict

JSSchley

Have Harp Will Travel

Rochester

Albannach

AW Addict

suki

Opinionated

JSSchley

Have Harp Will Travel

Jamesaritchie

JSSchley

Have Harp Will Travel