Someone asked me what my name was today and I swear I almost said Crystal Jordan. Then when I was typing in my username to my personal email account, I typed in crystal.jordan
Um, yeah.
Sorry to burst your bubble if you thought it was, but Crystal Jordan is not my real name. I’m protecting my family’s innocence (or at least their rep at the local holy roller’s convention) by taking on a pseudonym.
So, I wanted to talk about the weirdness of it all being a person pretending to be a writer pretending to be a person (if you don’t know where that rhythm of words comes from, you must go watch Julie Andrews in Victor Victoria)
We have a delicate balance to strike as writers. Especially when we get to the point where we’re doing book signings. Since my first print book comes out in August, I’ve been giving this a lot of thought. It’ll be something of a public “outting” of my little secret. It only takes one person who knows me in real life to walk into a bookstore I’m signing in to see my pen name and poof, there goes that secret. Librarians are all about information sharing (i.e. total gossip-whores), so that would be one wildfire of a rumor around the library the next day.
Does that make me paranoid? A little, yeah.
Plus, Crystal Jordan is a bit more wicked and gregarious than the “real” Crystal–it’s still me, but with all the politeness filters blown off. So if any of my colleagues saw me in that situation it might shock the crap out of them. Of course, part of me thinks that might be fun, but the other part is a little horrified the people who know me as a nice, staid librarian might get to see me walking on my wild side. Not exactly the mental image I want them to have when we’re talking about me getting tenure at the university…or while I’m being the leader/enforcer during a meeting. I have a feeling it might lower their respect for me some, and on a lot of levels that upsets me. It’s a bad, bad thing.
So, how do I find that balance? I have to do book signings, I have to promo my work, but the thought of people giving me the “I know what you do on the weekends, you dirty wench” look is rather daunting.
You know, these are the things they never tell you you’ll have to deal with when you finally sell to New York and have that shining-awesome print book in your hot little hands. 
Amanda Brice isn’t my real name, either. And I don’t write even the least bit steamy! Mr. Brice suggested that I take a pen name (Amanda is my middle name and Brice is his) to protect our privacy.
It used to be more of an issue when I wrote chick lit, but is less of an issue now that I’m writing YA. But I’m still using the pen name. Why? Why not. I’m not so concerned anymore about people I work with finding out what I do in my spare time, but I still like having my outside-of-work life mine, you know? Several of my girlfriends at work know, but they’re my friends. My boss doesn’t know, and I doubt I’ll ever tell him…well, at least as long as his daughter is too young to read…when she grows up a little bit, I might want another reader.
As for how I deal with it, so far it hasn’t really been an issue. I drop little easter eggs into my book to prove it’s really me writing it, but that’s just for my friends and family, because they think it’s funny.
by Amanda Brice June 18th, 2008 at 7:38 amIf things go forward in a positive way, I’ll just be moving on to getting a psuedo. It’s not to protect the family. They’re big people. It’s my life. Piffle… LOL ;)
It’s actually to keep the level of writing separate for my readers. I don’t want to shock someone who’s gotten used to what I write NOW to pick something I may write that blows the norm out of the water. If they want it, it’s there, but I don’t want there to be confusion, if possible. It’ll still happen, I know, and take time to realize that I’m one and the same.
Now what’s this about you being staid? You’re kidding right??
by Diana Castilleja June 18th, 2008 at 7:42 amI choses a pen name because I write a little steamy, okay…maybe a closer to tie-me-up-and-flog-me-you-hunky-stud-you! LOL
Privacy was the main concern. I read somewhere that men in prison often read erotic books :shock: and I would rather not have that fan base know my real name, thank you very much! Especially if they are early release!
Anyway, I have kids, I have a husband, I live in a tiny town. Plus my pen name is so much sexier than my real boring name anyhow.
by Elaina Huntley June 18th, 2008 at 7:53 amFor me, it was a matter of separating my WORK writing for library literature under my real name from my FICTION…I didn’t want people googling my real name expecting to find information on libraries and instead finding my romance work. Then again…I didn’t start out writing erotic, I started out writing chick lit.
My family KNOWS what I write, but the pen name gives them some plausible deniability if they want it.
And Diana–you’ve never seen me at work, love.
by Crystal Jordan June 18th, 2008 at 8:06 am“For me, it was a matter of separating my WORK writing for library literature under my real name from my FICTION…I didn’t want people googling my real name expecting to find information on libraries and instead finding my romance work.”
Crystal, that’s exactly why I write as Amanda Brice. It’s not so much that I care whether people know that I write fiction. But when they google the real me, I’d rather them find my legal articles, not my YA books about girls traveling back in time or solving mysteries at their dance studio.
by Amanda Brice June 18th, 2008 at 8:16 amI thought I might write steamier than I ended up writing…so in deference to my four teenaged children, I chose a pen name. Instead I write YA, and the teenaged children pass out my pens at school. Life is weird.
by gwen hayes June 18th, 2008 at 9:39 amFrankly, Jax is my real name and Cassidy could have been my real last name in a previous life. I got over the fear of being exposed. These days I proudly ‘roar’ — I’m an erotic romance author. For the most part, I’ve met people who are thrilled..some who are pervs…and some who are genuinely awestruck by me having books available in stores. I think when you become comfortable and believe this is truly a profession, a career, it’s easy to accept your other persona. I’ve always known you as Crystal Jordan so that’s who you are to me! :)
by Jax June 18th, 2008 at 1:27 pmI’ve thought about this as well, Crystal. Originally, I took my pen name because I wanted to keep my erotic romance writing separate from my regular life. I have written under my real name, but mostly articles. I used to have the intention of writing self help or new age books and I didn’t want that part of me to clash with the erotic romance part. Initially, I had the intention of writing traditional romance under my real name (people laugh because my real name sounds more like a romance writer’s name than Vivienne Westlake).
Recently, I’ve become a bit more open with co-workers and acquaintances about what I write. Most of them are really excited by it. They haven’t read any of the steamy stuff, but some have asked…
I have thought of wearing a wig and glasses for the future when I do book signings. I know it’s silly, but there is a part of me that would like to go incognito. Not sure what I’ll do when I actually need to do live book signings, but hopefully, I’ll work that out by then. I know there are authors who do not reveal their identity and hide from public appearances short of RWA, but I know I’d probably WANT to do public appearances eventually, if only to meet the people who’d actually buy my books!
If you come up with a solution, let me know…
by Vivienne Westlake June 18th, 2008 at 9:01 pm