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Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings have landed a “substantial” book deal with Simon & Schuster’s Gallery imprint for Beautiful Bastard–a repurposed version of the fan fiction hit, The Office.

The book will be released in February, published under the pen name, Christina Lauren. Hobbs and Billings (pictured) share a blog called Swoontini. The pair are represented by Holly Root from the Waxman Leavell Literary Agency.

The Hollywood Reporter had the scoop: “The Office, which reimagined the Edward Cullen-Bella Swan relationship as a steamy love/hate romance between a boss and his assistant, was one of the pioneers of the Twilight fanfic genre, generating more than two million downloads, before being taken offline by the author in 2009.”

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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Today's WOW Wednesday guest post is from Myra McEntire, who has had her nose in a book since she could hold one. She was once caught reading in the shower (true story) and only stopped when her father disconnected the hot-water heater. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and two boys. Her young adult novel, HOURGLASS, will debut on May 24, 2011, with Egmont USA. Visit her online at http://www.myramcentire.com/ or follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/MyraMcEntire.


When Martina and Marissa sent topic suggestions for this post about my journey to publication, one question in particular jumped out.

Q: What advice would you most like to pass along?

A: If you want to become a published author, YOU GOTTA BELIEVE.

1. You Gotta Believe in YOU. When you're in the trenches of that first or fifth book, when it's just you and the blank page, when it's two o'clock in the morning and everyone you know is sleeping and you follow people on Twitter who live in the UK just so someone you know will be awake at that hour, when you hit a wall in your manuscript, when you don't KNOW any other writers to talk to about your plot problems (and if you did could you trust them with your BABY?), when you’re trying to figure out if you should join SCBWI or RWA or SFFWA or AW … you gotta believe that what you’re striving for – publication - is a possibility. If you don’t believe in you, no one else will.

2. You Gotta Believe in YOUR INSTINCTS. If you’re a writer, I certainly hope you’re a reader. Read in your genre and outside your genre. Read objectively. Reading changes when you become a writer. You’ll start to deeply value authors who can transport you from noticing the overuse of adverbs into the heart of their stories. You need to know what first person/third person present tense/past tense sounds like. You need to be able to recognize excellent world building versus poor world building. You need solid examples of how setting can breathe life into a story, and how dialogue can elevate a written conversation to something that sounds REAL. If you aren’t knowledgeable about how other people do it, you won’t know how to do it yourself. If your instincts tell you something is off about a story, ask yourself why. If something is right, ask yourself why. And then apply those lessons learned to your own work.

3. You Gotta Believe in the Power of REVISION. No one does it right the first time. No one does it right the second or third time, either. HOURGLASS went through at least eight MAJOR revisions before it sold. One of them was for my agent before I went on submission – I rewrote the whole second half. Guess what? AFTER I sold I rewrote the whole second half again. Someone very wise, and in the publishing biz, said this: “The writers who are willing to revise are the ones who have the longest careers.” I’m in for the long haul. And I believe that every time I touch a manuscript, I learn something.

4. You Gotta Believe the GOOD ADVICE INDUSTRY PROS GIVE YOU. This blog is an excellent place to start. You should also check out the blogs of Janet Reid, Nathan Bransford, Kristen Nelson, Rachelle Gardner and Michael Hyatt. Read author blogs like Maggie Stiefvater’s or Kiersten White’s. Read a book on craft. I suggest PLOT AND STRUCTURE by James Scott Bell, or BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott. Lurk on the Absolute Write forums. Check out the #kidlit and #yalitchat hash tags on Twitter. These suggestions are starting points, and they apply if you’re a newbie, done with your first manuscript, ready to query agents, on submission with publishers, or slated for publication. Be a sponge. Be open. Be positive, and be ready to learn. You can ALWAYS learn something.

5. You Gotta Believe in the PO

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Today, we are going to learn a little about using pseudonyms in your writing and marketing.

What is a pseudonym?

A pseudonym is a fictitious name used by a person to hide an individual's real identity. Also called a "pen name", pseudonyms may be used if a writer's real name is likely to be confused with another writer or individual or is determined to be unsuitable. It is very common with actors as well as authors. Authors who write in fiction and non-fiction, or in different genres, may use pen names to avoid confusing their readers allowing them the creative freedom to explore different genres.

Using a pen name provides a degree of anonymity. which provides you freedom to write and speak freely "from the heart."

Why should you write under a pseudonym?

• you don't like your name
• you want something easier to remember
• you want to keep your anonymity
• you want to write in different genres and don't want to confuse readers
• you want to be mysterious
• you don't want people to know if you are writing about them
• you want to hide your gender
• you don't want your "day job" to find out
• you write for different publications across the publishing field
  
• you have the same name as a famous author or person

Some famous writer pseudonyms

• Samuel Clemens' writing under the pen name Mark Twain.
• Meg Cabot has written under the name Meggin Cabot, as well as the pseudonyms Patricia Cabot and Jenny Carroll.
• Lemony Snicket is the legal pen name of Daniel Handler.
• Jane Austin used the pseudonym "A Lady" as the author of her first novel Sense and Sensibility.
• Joanne Kathleen Rowling is known as JK Rowling
• Richard Bachman is the pen name of Stephen King.

Here's what Jill Myles, author of Gentlemen Prefer Succubi, says about why she uses a pseudonym for her writing.

Why did you decide to write under a pseudonym? How did you come up with your name?

There were a variety of reasons why I decided to write under a pseudonym, and I had to weigh the pros and cons. The major pro, in my mind, was the anonymity it offers. I'm not ashamed to write romance - the opposite, actually! - but in this day and age when your personal information can be found online by anyone that has your phone number, I'm very protective of my real identity. Plus, I work for an extremely conservative financial company in my day job, and having to explain/defend why I write 'dirty vampire romances' is not a conversation I wanted to have every day.

As for my name, I picked Jill Myles because it was short and punchy and relatively easy to remember. No mystery, I'm afraid. :)

What are the challenges o

24 Comments on Writing under a pseudonym, last added: 1/29/2010

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Feywriter said, on 1/26/2010 6:19:00 PM

This is great. I've considered the possibility of using a pseudonym for a reason not above: my name is super common. Something to discuss with an agent though. Thanks for the great post. I've enjoyed the blog tour.

Ash. Elizabeth said, on 1/26/2010 6:27:00 PM

I'd probably pick a pseudonym because my name is extremely common and boring.

P.S.--went to borders today and Succubi Like It Hot was on the new mass market release shelf-thingy.A worker there insisted I read it until I told her I already did. Thought I'd let you know because its probably at the front of the borders near you!

Cathy C. Hall said, on 1/26/2010 6:43:00 PM

Fun blog tour! Thanks for posting info, Shelli (if that's your REAL name :-)

Addled Alchemist said, on 1/26/2010 6:50:00 PM

Hmm... Something to think about. Thanks!

The Queen B said, on 1/26/2010 6:55:00 PM

Thanks for this post. It was very informative.
Also, I have to do a fangirl shout out to Jill *waves* ;)

Christina Farley said, on 1/26/2010 7:02:00 PM

The idea of a pseudonym is interesting. I can see why people choose one.

Hardygirl said, on 1/26/2010 7:43:00 PM

Ha! I've had my pseudonym chosen since I was five years old. I'll probably never use it (except for using it as my password on everything . . . so I'll never tell!!).

sf

C.R. Evers said, on 1/26/2010 7:45:00 PM

very interesting! Great post!

Jemi Fraser said, on 1/26/2010 7:53:00 PM

Jill has made some great points! A pseudonym can be a smart choice in many circumstances.

Margay said, on 1/26/2010 8:35:00 PM

I think something can be said for writing under a pseudonym - or not. Each has its merits, just as each has its drawbacks. Great information, Jill!

Margay

Kayeleen said, on 1/26/2010 9:03:00 PM

I guess this is one time when I can be grateful for my relatively strange and memorable name.

Sharon Mayhew said, on 1/26/2010 9:07:00 PM

I've heard/read that if you change from a small press market to a large market it's a good thing to change your name. You may have a great book sales number for a small press, but it is better to be an unknown with an unknown track record with a large publishing house. It's all in how you read the data.

cheesebk said, on 1/27/2010 1:11:00 AM

thank you so much for the insight into why people choose pseudonyms. *nods*

pauling said, on 1/27/2010 5:03:00 AM

I'm wondering though if pen names are too common? I know several new/intermediate writers with a different pen name for every social media. Some rules to play by would be nice, because if you really did want to use a pen name and you start branding yourself before you have an agent - is that too early. What if your agent/editor don't agree with you?

Nisa said, on 1/27/2010 5:53:00 AM

I don't think I would use a pseudonym for anonymity's sake, though it's not a bad idea when you think of identity theft. My real name is difficult to pronounce, which is why I go by Nisa on-line. I think if I ever get published, the same will apply. I don't want anyone to pass over the book because they can't pronounce my name! Plus Nisa is unique.

Linda Kage said, on 1/27/2010 7:47:00 AM

Great post.

The two main reasons I have a pen name are because no one ever pronounces my legal last name right, and just for a litte privacy.

Jennie Englund said, on 1/27/2010 8:14:00 AM

Stealing the idea of initials from AM Jenkins, I used a (stupid) pseudonym that (rightfully) irritated an editor. At the end of our conversation, he asked "What should I call you?"

Embarrassing.

Is it best to use real name in query?

Shannon O'Donnell said, on 1/27/2010 10:45:00 AM

This is interesting stuff, Shelli. I knew nothing about this area - but now I do! Thanks. :-)

Elana Johnson said, on 1/27/2010 10:57:00 AM

I'm glad to see that there really isn't a difference in the marketing aspect of things. Interesting things, pen names.

Jessie Oliveros said, on 1/27/2010 11:04:00 AM

I've considered a pen name b/c my last name is always pronounced differently. However, I think in the end, my desire to be known would win out.

Veronica Barton-Dean said, on 1/27/2010 12:42:00 PM

We are worried about a similar subject with our acting and modeling daughter. As she has quickly progressed in the entertainment industry her agent is pushing us to change her last name for her acting. I see the protection points because she's only nine, but the rest of our family doesn't quite understand it.

Donna Gambale said, on 1/27/2010 2:25:00 PM

Really intriguing! Actually, this topic interested me so much that I wrote my own post about it a couple weeks ago. So far, I'm planning on using my maiden name as my author name, even after I get married.
And I love the name Jill Myles - great choice!

KM said, on 1/27/2010 3:21:00 PM

Great post, explaining "pen names." I've always wanted to use one just because I hate my name. Curse being born and raised in the South with a double first name!!

Sliding on the Edge said, on 1/28/2010 3:01:00 PM

I chose a frightfully clever pseudonym, thinking it would separate my YA writing from a dull, academic stuff. It was C. Lee McKenzie. My first letter salutation with that name was, "Hi C!" I sounded like a fruit drink. Then everyone kept asking if they should call me C. or Lee. Last, it's taken me over two years to turn around when someone say, "Is that you, Lee?"

"No." Er. I mean, "Yes."

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Hi Holly, thanks for stopping by. Before I pick your brain about marketing, tell us a little about yourself.

Sure, Shelli. Thanks for having me. I started out in publishing in my hometown of Nashville, TN. I worked for a Christian publisher in the children's division before moving to NY and hopping the fence to the world of agenting. My first job in New York was as an agent trainee at the William Morris Agency, and then I moved to Trident Media Group. I came to Waxman Agency in the spring of 2007 where I am currently representing authors of both fiction (young adult/middle grade, commercial women's fiction, romance and mystery) and nonfiction (self-help/relationships, lifestyle, soft business, and narrative).

At Waxman, we have both an agency site and an agency blog. I do a lot of the blog management--but if you have a question for any of Team Waxman to tackle, please do pass it on! I also twitter and really enjoy connecting with authors there (I don't auto-follow back but I do check out my @repliers. And if none of that made a lick of sense to you, I promise Twitter does get easier!).


I think I'm following you in every sphere possible :) In your opinion , what are the top 3 things every author should and must do to promote their book?

In general, I think you have to be human and remember others are too. 2. Work your connections. 3. Have an author web site that is clean, professional, and updated regularly.

1. Social networking and the internet have opened up a huge opportunity for authors to spread the word about their work. But they've also introduced new and exciting ways to shoot yourself in the foot. Approach all interactions with thoughtful humility and remember that the people on the other end are not just book-buying-bots. Making a real connection on a human level will make your friends or followers or readers that much more excited to see your book soar. Don't we all love it when nice guys finish first?

2. Along those lines your connections are your base. If you're asking people to go out on a limb with you (whether it's an event, a promotion, or just plonking down cash for your book), they're much more likely to do that if they already feel some sort of vaguely positive emotion toward you. I'd rather you focus on relationship-building with your local booksellers or doing a self-funded friends & family "tour" than spend your time composing a package to send to Oprah. An extreme example, but in many cases those "big" efforts result in authors trying to do things a publisher is better set up to do, or that aren't useful expenditures of time. Think about the markets of people you know would love your book (hopefully because you yourself are part of that group), but that are perhaps too niche for a publisher to focus on. You can reach those people. All the social networking sites are tools you can use to get to your people. And people want to be part of your success--if you give back and remember connections aren't just one-way.

3. No dancing kitten .gifs would be my preference, much though I love kittens. Err on the side of simple and readable when in doubt. Have some humanizing details (it's all about connection) and make sure it's easy to click-to-buy your book! I don't think this site has to be up before your book sells to a publisher, either, though it's fine if it is.


Oh good, I don't have any dancing kittens! How important is technology to an author’s marketing plan?

It's fabulous if you have a tech aspect to your platform. But if it's not proven, it just won't be very persuasive to a publisher, and if you present it like it's impressive and it isn't, then you risk looking small-time. If you tout your blog with its audience of 150 readers...those numbers won't be compelling to a publisher--they're more of a nice start. Saying "I will get 1500 Twitter followers" is nice but how do we know that 1) you can do it and 2) it sells books? I'd focus more on conveying that you are part of a community that will support a work like yours, whether it's YA authors who have offered to let you do a blog tour (a promo idea I love) or the Jane Austen websociety you co-chair with its 30,000 subscribers. Also focus on existing things, rather than hypotheticals: ie, you write for the Huffington Post and they'll link your books next to your columns, rather than you will start a blog and get lots of hits somehow.

Most of all you want to demonstrate that you are reasonably tech-savvy and willing to work on it. I'd rather you show me that (say, by joining in the conversation on Twitter or by having a blog, even if it's basic and not yet about your published-ness) than tell it to me. I definitely swing by to see what people's online presence is like; it's often a good cue as to whether we're likely to be a fit. I know editors who do the same.


Do you feel it is beneficial for authors to team up and promote books as a group? Why?

I am a big fan of this, although you do have to choose the team wisely. The best case scenario is, you've got a group of authors who are enough alike that readers of one would probably like the others, but different enough that you get a range of points of view. It shares the time commitment of promotional work and I think, with multiple voices in the conversation, it's less likely to turn into a me-fest. Two of my clients blog together with four other debut authors at The Novel Girls and I love their Topics of the Week, and the different takes each one has on the subject at hand.

I think you can also do things in a group setting that are less about promotion, per se--for instance, Living Your Five is run by four YA authors, but it's about something so much bigger than "buy our books"--they're out to make a difference, and bringing together their readers & fans to do so. The power of the group at its best!


What things do Publishers expect in terms of Marketing? What does the average author receive or is it different, depending on the book?

Publicists are the busiest people in the business, and the least appreciated to boot. So having an author who's out there spreading the word, especially an author who expresses gratitude for the efforts of the house, is a recipe for happy publisher. (I would advise against any dispatches that start "You aren't doing jack for my book so I'm doing it myself." Strongly advise against.)

I don't think publishers "expect" anything from authors, per se. But they also know that an author who is smart about promotion and publicity can make a big difference between a book that does just OK and a book that quietly outperforms expectations. Publishers necessarily have to focus on the wide angle, whether that's just flat-out getting the book in stores, or securing co-op, or a special push for libraries. A savvy author can go for the close-up, the local and affinity based efforts, and I find houses generally very supportive of those sorts of efforts.

But when you're preparing for your own plans and figuring out what you need from your house, be thoughtful about how much work that "tiny favor" or six you're asking for creates on the other end of things for your editor or publicist. Your agent should be able to give you a sense of whether what you've got in mind is something the house might want to share in, or best handled on your own.


Finally, as an agent, what (if any) things do you expect an author to do in terms of marketing?

I want my authors to be out there connecting with readers and potential readers, whether via blog or twitter or even in real life, or best yet, all three. Different approaches are right for different kinds of personalities and books. I expect authors to ask questions if they're unsure of what to do next, and to conduct themselves professionally even when frustrated. Beyond that, I want authors to play to their strengths, because you can always tell when someone has a blog only because someone told them that to move copies you have to have a blog (exchange "blog" for whatever other promo tool suits). No two authors' promotional efforts will look exactly the same, and that's a good thing.


Thanks Holly for the great advice!

Thanks Shelli!

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Author Sara Bennett Wealer is having a banner year. Not only did she sell her book to HarperTeen, but she just HAD A BABY! Yep, just two days ago she gave birth to a little girl, her second child.

The bio Sara wrote for the Tenners site is very amusing, and I recommend going straight there, if only to see how elegantly she can segue from “I love ballet” to “I write a lot about poop” with only two sentences in between. I simply cannot do it justice here! Go, go! (Then please come back....)

Here’s Sara’s deal report from Publisher’s Marketplace:

Sara Bennett Wealer's debut RIVAL, in which two high school seniors compete for a prestigious singing scholarship, set against a backdrop of the events that turned them from best friends to rivals, to Erica Sussman at Harper Teen, by Holly Root at Waxman Literary Agency (world).

Hi Sara! Can you please tell us how you met your agent?
The traditional way. I queried, then sent a partial, then a full. Holly loved my book (which actually *wasn't* RIVAL - I'd sent her a newer manuscript that came thisclose to selling, and that I'm planning to revise). I loved how enthusiastic and professional she was, and she's been a dream to work with.

Can you tell us how your book deal happened? It happened within hours and was heralded by an airplane flying over my house, tugging a banner that said, "Please let us publish your novel!" :-)

Actually, unlike some of my agency mates whom you've already interviewed (*cough* Rachel Hawkins *cough*) it took awhile. Erica Sussman, who now is my editor at Harper, told us that she loved RIVAL but felt it needed some tweaks before she could take it through the various approval committees. She shared her suggestions, and I agreed that they would make the book stronger, so I agreed to a revision. When I was finished, Erica took the book to acquisitions. They loved it, too, but felt there were a couple more things that needed to be done in order to get a final sign-off from those farther up the food chain. So I revised once more, and it paid off. Harper made an offer in October. I feel so fortunate to have had a champion in Erica. Her thoughts on the story really helped me take it to that all-important next level!

What was the inspiration for RIVAL and how long did it take you to write?
I worked on RIVAL off and on over a period of about six years. During that time, I wrote two other novels as well, one that will never see the light of day and the one I mentioned earlier, which I currently am revising.

RIVAL was inspired by my experience as a singer in a competitive high school music program. There was only one high school in my hometown, which also had a major university, and that meant you had a high concentration of very talented, very driven people. Being in the top choruses meant lots of rehearsals and lots of traveling, which created quite a pressure cooker when it came to relationships. There were rivalries galore and I had my fair share, though "grown up" me wishes I'd focused more on being friends than on who sang better or who got the lead in the musical. The memory of what that atmosphere was like inspired me to write RIVAL (though, of course, nothing that happens in the book actually happened in real life).

I also wanted to write a book that kids who are interested and/or active in the arts could identify with and enjoy, though RIVAL isn't just about music! There's a romance, Homecoming drama, scheming BFFs--and if you aren't into singing, just substitute cheerleading or your favorite competitive sport. In high school, rivals pretty much can be found around every corner.

What's your publication date and where in the process are you now?
I'm waiting on a concrete publication date. I just turned in my formal revisions and am awaiting feedback from my editor. I imagine copyedits will be coming next and then... well, I'm dying to see a cover!!

So will you be singing opera on YouTube to promote your book?
Probably not! My voice isn't what it used to be, though I still like to sing when I can find time. I do plan to create a spot on my website where visitors can explore the various singers, musicals, etc. that I mention in the book. And I've got some marketing ideas that could include real teen singers showing off their skills. They would be MUCH more fun to watch than I ever would.

What are you working on now?
I'm working on two projects. The first is a re-write of the novel I mentioned earlier. The second is a totally new project that I'm super-excited about, though I always feel funky giving out details of a work in progress. Let's just say it deals with a whole 'nother kind of rivalry, and it may or may not have an element of the paranormal.

Do you have any words of wisdom for writers trying to get published?
Be obsessive, but objective. By obsessive, I mean that you have to be willing to sit your butt down every day and write, whether you feel inspired or not. You have to be willing to keep submitting and working, no matter how many times you get told "no," until finally you get a "yes." I tell my friends it's like beating your head against a wall. You get to a point where the next blow could be the one that breaks it all down, and you sort of have to say, "I either get brain damage, or I bust this sucker, but either way I am not quitting!"

At the same time, you have to be objective about your work. Find good critique partners and listen to what they say. Be willing to rip your stuff apart and start over. Educate yourself about how the publishing business works and behave professionally as you look for an agent and publisher. Don't fall into the trap of blaming others for the fact that you haven't made it yet. It's not that nobody appreciates your talent or that the market only wants the next Twilight or that agents are evil, etc. Many, many times, the problem is that your work is not ready for prime time, which can be difficult for people to hear. When it is ready, then things will start to happen. They still won't be easy (I don't think anything in this business is ever easy), but when you see that wall start to come down, you'll know it was due to your own hard work, and that is an incredible feeling!

Where can we find you on the web?
You can find my website at http://www.sarabennettwealer.com/ (There's a lovely "coming soon" message there now, but I plan to go totally live within the next month or so--even planning on doing a cool giveaway. Yay!) I'm also on Facebook and on Twitter and I blog at LiveJournal.

Thanks Sara! Hearty congratulations on your amazing creations, both literary and human!

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