Tidbit: Pen Names

Samuel Clemens is Mark Twain.
Nora Roberts is J.D. Robb.
Agatha Christie is Mary Westmacott.
Michelle Griep is...drum roll, please...Michelle Griep.

But not for long.

I'm in the midst of choosing a pen name, and you get to help. I know, I hear you. Aren't pen names supposed to be top secret? Well, yes, but (and I've always got a big but) you, my faithful blog readers, already know that I'm crossing genre lines and am working on a contemporary mystery with a buddy. And--happy, happy--you've been super receptive and encouraging on my crazy novel writing journey, so I've decided to puff a little more air into my secret pen name bubble and include you in on the intrigue.

Before I let you help me choose a name, you may have a few questions, like why in the world would anyone use a fake persona?

To Hide
C.S. Lewis chose to first publish A Grief Observed under the name N.W. Clerk (the N.W. stands for 'nat whilk' which is Anglo Saxon shorthand for 'I know not whom'). He didn't want his loyal fans to struggle and/or be confused with his blatant anger toward God over the death of his wife. Interesting side note: some of his friends actually recommended the book to him to help him get over his loss. This title was not published under his real name during his lifetime.

To Discover
Stephen King was on a mission to discover if his writing was good or not. Did readers pick up his titles just because his name was on the cover, or did they really like his prose? He published 4 books under the name of Richard Bachman. They sold well, but the numbers weren't as high as a "Stephen King" novel. He ditched the persona after a bookstore clerk discovered the style similarities and outed him.

To Appeal
Some markets are fussy. J.K. Rowling's real first name is Joanna, but she was advised that to write for the children's market, initials were best received by buyers. No, I don't know why, and I didn't dig into the market research. Apparently she didn't either, because she went with the initials. Research or not, she rocketed to the top of the young adult mountain.

To Crossover
Agatha Christie equals mystery, not romance. Her faithful readers wouldn't be able to wrap their minds around such a drastic change. But love was in her veins, so she wrote 6 romance novels under the name Mary Westmacott.

Personally, I'm in the Agatha Christie campground, but flipped. I'm known for historical romance, but am running off the leash for awhile in the contemporary cozy mystery category. Hence, I need a name for this venture.

I brainstormed with my hubby over the weekend, and we came up with a few. Go ahead and play around with the choices, then write your favorite one in the comments section. I'll let you know which one wins in a future post.

First name possibilities: Ellie or Ella

Last names: Marks or Griffin or Vonn

There you have it. No pushing or shoving. Wear a helmet. And have fun!