Welcome back to another blog hop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt.
Don’t forget to click the purple button to see what everyone else has to say.
Did you write under a pseudonym? Why?
Yes, I do. Even though my real name isn’t a secret. Richard is genuine, Dee is just a way of expressing the first letter of my actual surname.
When I started out on my writing journey, I was still employed. I became Richard Dee because I didn’t want my boss or people where I worked to know what I was doing. That was partly because I was afraid of their reaction if what I was producing turned out to be rubbish. On a more serious level, there was a clause in my contract that forbade me from earning money in any other sort of employment while I was working for them. Back then, I still held hopes of a traditional publishing deal, which could have been problematic if they had found out what I was doing.
I called myself Richard Dee for the purpose of submissions, if I had gained a big deal, I would have resigned and revealed all.
Obviously, I didn’t achieve overnight success. It all became academic when fate took a hand, or more accurately a shoulder. I retired and the problem vanished. By then I had one completed novel and had half-written a second. I couldn’t be bothered to change my name again, so I stayed as Richard Dee.
I also managed to acquire the domain richarddeescifi.co.uk, making it even less likely that I would ever go back to being who I was.
To be honest, now that I’ve published a few titles, I think Richard Dee looks much better on a book cover than my real name. It’s shorter, which means it takes up less space and (dare I say it) sounds more authorly.
I was tempted to use separate pen names for each genre that I write, which would have given me three more names to make up. With plays on my real name, I could have been Ricardo Duque or Rikki Docker. Or even John Richardson.
However, being inherently lazy, I decided to publish them all as Richard Dee and let the audience work it out.
Who knows, there might even be some crossover purchasing.
Until next week.
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Chris L Adams
I was aware you used a nom de plume, but never knew the back story. I’ve thought of creating one myself to go in completely different directions, but it’s only ever arisen as a vague thought to do so. If I actually wrote some material that was acutely divergent from my pulp-style tales, I may consider it. Good backstory, Richard!
Richard Dee
I know several authors who use multiple names, depending on Genre. It always seems like a lot of extra work maintaining each one. That all reduces the time available for writing.
Darlene Foster
I think Richard Dee is a great author name. I thought about using a a noms-de-plume but then thought how would people find me. It took me a few tries to get a surname that was easy to spell, say and recognize so I am happy to use it.
Richard Dee
Thanks, I’ve grown to like having an alter ego.
Stevie Turner
As you say, you get to keep some things private from those who know you. I prefer it that way!
Richard Dee
I feel for people saddled with unfortunate names, they get the stick for things they had no control over. I worked with a guy called Kenneth Tuckey, his anguish was real.
Daryl Devore
The Daryl part of my name is real. The Devore part is made up.
Love your – However, being inherently lazy, I decided to publish them all as Richard Dee and let the audience work it out.
Kinda why I am narrowing it down to 1 name.
Tweeted.
Richard Dee
I’m happy to be associated with it all, because I’m responsible for it all. Keep it simple is my motto.
P.J. MacLayne
There is a lot advice out there about having a different name for each genre you write, but I don’t have the time or inclination to keep track of that mess!
Richard Dee
I Know an author who juggles FOUR personae. I cannot be bothered, life is too short for that.