I have a curious dilemma. It appears that there is a fairly well-known author of science fiction short stories who, though deceased, shares my first initial and last name - C. L. Moore.
My middle initial (N) is different than hers, but before I had discovered this, I had considered going by C. N. Moore. Now I am not sure what I should do. Granted, I'm not published yet, but as I send stories out to editors, I don't know if this would hinder my efforts or help them. Any advice?
Posted by steffenwolf (Member # 8250) on :
Personally, I would avoid using C.N. Moore, in that case. While having similar names may confuse the occasional reader into picking up one of your books instead of the other Moore's, wouldn't you rather get readers by good writing than by trickery.
Did I mention my pen name is Steven Kring?
Posted by extrinsic (Member # 8019) on :
Rich! C. N. Moore, see 'n more.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
Unless your first name is "Catherine," and you use that, I don't think anyone will confuse you with her.
Besides, only us superannuated SF fans are likely to remember her and her work, though I believe a modicum of it is in print even now. C. L. Moore was active from the 1930s to the 1950s in SF.
Posted by JamieFord (Member # 3112) on :
Why not just use your first name?
I had a client named Les Moore, by the way. (Less/More...he never let us forget it).
Posted by TheOnceandFutureMe on :
One of my professors is named David Robbins. He writes WWII novels. There is another David Robbins that has written dozens of sci-fi and fantasy novels. My professor goes by David L. Robbins in the publishing world.
Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :
The pun suggested by my initials (CN - see'n), as extrinsic has pointed out, was why I had considered using my initials in the first place. I thought it memorable, hopefully for the good.
[This message has been edited by philocinemas (edited October 16, 2008).]
Posted by Zero (Member # 3619) on :
You could invent a goofy name as a stunt. Like:
Why Turtles Eat Sharks, by Thiz Nowe
Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :
I had considered "Phil C. Nemas", but it seems kind of pointless. Of course, even more pointless would be using the pseudonyms of "Louis Padgett" or "Larry O'Donnell" (alternate spellings intentional)*. I liked "C.H. Liddell" the best - Chicken Little*.
*See references to C.L. Moore
Posted by Zero (Member # 3619) on :
At this point, I'd accept being published under the name Butt Face if it meant I got to be published.
Posted by Zero (Member # 3619) on :
Also, the word "meant" that I just wrote, how long do you suppose before it will be spelt "meaned" ?
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
I'm glad I have a unique name.
Posted by SchamMan89 (Member # 5562) on :
For the record, my last name, Schamber, is pronounced Sham(as in shamrock)-burr. I'm considering the following either: Christopher L. Schamber or C. L. Schamber
I'm personally leaning toward the latter.
Posted by MartinV (Member # 5512) on :
You people at least have pronouncable names. Try reading mine out loud:
Martin Vavpotich (the last letter is actually č but I doubt you will know how to speak it; perhaps you wont even see it on the screen).
My last name is read something in the way of wow-pot-itch.
Posted by aspirit (Member # 7974) on :
What is the origin of Vavpotič (and did I spell the name correctly)?
[This message has been edited by aspirit (edited October 20, 2008).]
Posted by aspirit (Member # 7974) on :
philocinemas, I don't have any advice for you at the moment. I'm uncertain about my own byline.
My surname is commonly used as a first or middle name for girls. Might that put my science fiction work at a marketing disadvantage? Also, do most male readers avoid novels written from a male POV by a female author, or is that a myth?
Posted by extrinsic (Member # 8019) on :
So many questions stated or implied. What's in a name? A name is the marketing face of a writer. Will the writer's stories be so indistinguishably male or female that a neuter gender name is perceived as gender neutral. Will the gender-indentifying, -crossing, or -neutering name be perceived as a deceit, a betrayal, a sellout. From which gender perception does the writer write best. Which gender perception best tells the story. Or is the writer's gender orientation invisible in the story. Ideally, a reader won't make any gender connection to the name of the writer, but we all begin with a bias based on naming's gender distinctions.
Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :
aspirit, I think it just depends on the subject matter. I tend to like fantasy better from female writers and science fiction more from male writers. This has just been my experience, and there have been definite exceptions. I have not read all of the Harry Potter books <soundings of aghast>, but I have enjoyed the first three, which were primarily 3rd limited on Harry. I thoroughly enjoyed The Historian, which had a female's POV reading something written from a male's POV.
Regarding science fiction, I have read only one book by Tess Gerritsen, Gravity, and it reminded me a lot of Michael Crichton - the story was good, but I think it would be better served in cinema. Oddly enough my favorite Star Trek stories (screenplays and books) have been written by women and tend to have a mostly male POV.
All in all, I don't usually think about it unless I recognize the author's name from something I've previously read.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
Marketing aside, one's name also ties in with one's ego. Certainly some of the desire to sell stories is the desire to make a mark in this world, to leave some trace that one was actually "here."
Me, having long since given up hope of "making a living" at writing, the "make a mark" angle weighs perhaps more heavily on me than many of you. I don't think I'd let somebody publish my work if it wasn't under my own name...
(Aside: on Tess Gerritsen's name---when I first saw her name on a book, I confused her with one Lisa Gerritsen, a child actor active in the 1960s / 1970s. As far as I know, they're not the same person---but this confusion on my part did make me notice Ms. Gerritsen's books. I've read a couple...okay stuff, but, so far, nothing special, at least to me.)
Posted by steffenwolf (Member # 8250) on :
I've pondered over what to use for my name. At the moment I am submitting under my own name because I want to walk into a book store and find my name on the shelf.
But my name is pretty common, at least from a Googled name standpoint. Currently #9 result on a search for "David Steffen" turns up a site titled "Is David Steffen and elitist bigot?". www.davidsteffen.com domain is already taken (a seller of US patriotic doo-rags). It would be cool if I had something that consistently turned up myself as the most common result.
I thought about using my first and middle initial, but I'm not sure DL Steffen has quite a ring to it either. Perhaps I could fabricate a middle initial? DP? DC? I don't know. So for now I'm sticking with the real name.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
There was a Dan Steffan active in SF circles a few years ago...maybe still is, for all I know.
