So there's a couple of reasons, I'm wondering if I should query my next book under my own name.
1. A couple of years back, I queried my first book to agents as well as a lot of publishers. I didn't know any better and was a bit overzealous. I was very polite and accepted rejection, so I definitely wasn't rude in anyway. But I did email several editors at publishers that don't accept unsolicited submissions. Most didn't respond. A few did, just to recommend I get an agent. One even read the book and liked it but didn't offer. I'm a bit concerned I might be blacklisted or blocked by some people, though. Probably not. But I'm still a bit worried and not sure if I should mention that. I know better now and wouldn't do that with the next book.
2. But the main reason is some family members of mine are published writers. One of them - a cousin I don't know - shares my exact first and last name. They're not famous, but they are VERY prolific online. When you Google my name (I don't really have any online presence except a Twitter account - no website, etc.) all you really find is my cousin's name. They're mentioned as a novelist from my country and even have a Wikipedia page. It is likely any future agents or publishers would think this was me. Should I mention that in every query? Also, there's a couple of other family members who are also published, one with a Big 5 publisher, and another person who is quite prolific and whose name is my middle name. Suffice to say, googling my name or a combination of it would bring up these other writers. So I thought using a different name might make this less confusing.
So for both of these reasons, I was wondering, should I query under a pen name? A different version of my name, with initials (although the unusual surname will still bring up the other writers)? And if I do decide to do this, can you even do this or does it get tricky if an agent wants to take you on or a publisher makes an offer?
1. A couple of years back, I queried my first book to agents as well as a lot of publishers. I didn't know any better and was a bit overzealous. I was very polite and accepted rejection, so I definitely wasn't rude in anyway. But I did email several editors at publishers that don't accept unsolicited submissions. Most didn't respond. A few did, just to recommend I get an agent. One even read the book and liked it but didn't offer. I'm a bit concerned I might be blacklisted or blocked by some people, though. Probably not. But I'm still a bit worried and not sure if I should mention that. I know better now and wouldn't do that with the next book.
2. But the main reason is some family members of mine are published writers. One of them - a cousin I don't know - shares my exact first and last name. They're not famous, but they are VERY prolific online. When you Google my name (I don't really have any online presence except a Twitter account - no website, etc.) all you really find is my cousin's name. They're mentioned as a novelist from my country and even have a Wikipedia page. It is likely any future agents or publishers would think this was me. Should I mention that in every query? Also, there's a couple of other family members who are also published, one with a Big 5 publisher, and another person who is quite prolific and whose name is my middle name. Suffice to say, googling my name or a combination of it would bring up these other writers. So I thought using a different name might make this less confusing.
So for both of these reasons, I was wondering, should I query under a pen name? A different version of my name, with initials (although the unusual surname will still bring up the other writers)? And if I do decide to do this, can you even do this or does it get tricky if an agent wants to take you on or a publisher makes an offer?
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