“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would
smell as sweet.”
The above quote is from
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. How
important is a person’s name? I recently read an article about author pen names
that got me thinking about this question.
![Hugues Merle - Romeo and Juliet [1879] | Hugues Merle (Saint… | Flickr](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/de/a4/05/dea40553bf6ef48a90df88c16525ea8a.jpg?b=t)
This is from the article by Sapiens: “Names are an essential part of our everyday lives. But for
romance writers, they are something more: tools for career success. Writers
create new names with the aim of using them to manage and increase their
readership. They use them to preserve anonymity, to separate their work in
different genres, and to create a brand.”
The article
also states this: “The name should be short so it can be large on the book
cover, and it should be easy to spell. It should be near the beginning of the
alphabet so your books don’t end up near the floor on bookstore shelves. And
you should think about which authors would be placed next to your book in an
alphabetically arranged order.” With digital books, this isn’t as important.
According to
the article, Anglophone names that are fairly short, like Wiggs and Roberts,
are popular for romance authors. Even French-Canadian authors are advised to
Anglicize their names. Western literature has a long history of pen names.
Women authors, especially in the nineteenth century, took male pen names. Even
today, women who write in more male-dominated genres choose male names or
gender-neutral names.
Up until the
late twentieth century, publishers controlled romance authors’ names. In some
cases, writers’ contracts stated they could not use that publisher’s pen name
to write for other publishers.
Authors choose
to use a pseudonym for different reasons. Some may write under a different name
for different sub-genres. Some may want to reinvent themselves. No one knows if
a new name can help a career, but some romance authors have branded themselves
with a new name to revive a flagging career. A writer’s name is her brand.
I always wanted
to publish under my real name. I’d worked really hard for a lot of years to
publish, and darn it, I was using my own name so everyone would know my hard
work paid off. My first book, A Catered
Affair, from Avalon Books, was published as Carolyn Matkowsky, my true name.
I think Matkowsky is easy to spell and pronounce. Just divide it into three
syllables. However, we Americans have trouble pronouncing and spelling names
over two syllables. In 2003, the year my Avalon book came out, I was nominated
by readers of Affaire de Coeur Magazine
as an up and coming author. I loved the nomination, but not the way the
magazine fractured my name. Since my book was only available in libraries, I
figured the readers who nominated me didn’t have a copy of my book in front of
them when they submitted my name. And they couldn’t remember the spelling.
I
decided I needed a shorter name that was easier to spell and pronounce. I
published my second book, Logan’s
Redemption, from The Wild Rose Press, in 2007, under my new name.
Coming up with
a fictitious name wasn’t easy. I wanted a name that meant something to me. My
heritage is Mediterranean, 92% Italian with the rest Greece and the Balkans.
Not a drop of English blood. I wanted a name that reflected my Italian
heritage, which is why I discounted using an Anglo name.
I’d used my
married name, Matkowsky, and that didn’t work. My maiden name is Palmarella, so
that wouldn’t work. I thought of shortening Palmarella to Palmer, but didn’t reflect
who I am. All my life, I’ve had a unique name. I wasn’t comfortable with
something more common. I came up with Marsi after a trip to Italy in 2006. The
Marsi were an important tribe during Roman times. They fought the Romans, then
became allies. The Marsi originated in the province of Abruzzo, where my
relatives are from. My own family tribe is the Marruccini. I found this out
from an Australian cousin. I couldn’t use Marruccini either. I went with Marsi
because it reflects my heritage and it’s short and easy to spell and pronounce.
I had to choose
a first name. I chose Cara, which is sometimes used as a nickname for Carolyn.
I’ve never had a nickname. My friends and family call me Carolyn. Cara goes
well with Marsi, but I now wish I’d kept my true first name because many readers
and authors know me as Cara and that’s what they call me.
I make no
secret of my alter ego. My real name is splashed all over social media, along
with my pen name. My Facebook pages are under Cara Marsi, but on my regular
page you can see my real name, Carolyn Palmarella Matkowsky. I post as Cara
Marsi, but friends and family will call me Carolyn when they post responses. I
answer to Cara and Carolyn.
Fun fact: Georgia
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who nearly toppled Republican
Brian Kemp last fall, writes romance novels under the name Selena
Montgomery.
What about you
authors? Do you have a pen name? Why? Or why not? How did you decide on a name?
Since we’re
talking pen names, here’s some shameless promotion for Cara Marsi’s newest
release, available for pre-order now.
WEDDED ON A
DARE (LOVE ON A DARE BOOK 2)
When a struggling actress
takes a role as the glamorous temporary wife of a wealthy playboy, she finds
love doesn’t always come on cue.
Struggling actress Kate Carluccio showed up for her wedding but her groom bowed out without warning. He absconded not only with her heart, but also her parents’ life savings. Her confidence shaken, Kate’s determined to find a way to restore her parents’ money. Then she’s offered the role of a lifetime: step out of her colorful high-top sneakers and into the glammed-up role of socialite wife to a shallow, annoying playboy. If only Kate wasn’t also secretly attracted to him, the one-and-a-half million dollars he offers with his proposal of a marriage-of-convenience might be easier to accept.
Breathtakingly handsome, super rich, and sophisticated with a bad boy vibe, Zach Lyon is a tabloid favorite. He may be a vice-president at his father’s company, but up until now he’s just played a supporting role. But when he discovers two executives are conspiring to force his dad out and take over the company, Zach decides it’s time to step into the spotlight. What better way than to take a glamorous new wife to Las Vegas to spend the Christmas holiday at the home of one of the conspiring executives?
As the curtain rises on the eclectic house party, Kate and Zach play their roles against the backdrop of schemers and snobs, while hiding deep secrets of their own. Can Kate pretend to love Zach without revealing the true depth of her attraction? Can Zach prove to his father he has the stability to go from understudy to leading man? They may have wedded on a dare, but with the stage set for romance, their marriage-of-convenience might just turn into a marriage-to-last-a-lifetime.
Struggling actress Kate Carluccio showed up for her wedding but her groom bowed out without warning. He absconded not only with her heart, but also her parents’ life savings. Her confidence shaken, Kate’s determined to find a way to restore her parents’ money. Then she’s offered the role of a lifetime: step out of her colorful high-top sneakers and into the glammed-up role of socialite wife to a shallow, annoying playboy. If only Kate wasn’t also secretly attracted to him, the one-and-a-half million dollars he offers with his proposal of a marriage-of-convenience might be easier to accept.
Breathtakingly handsome, super rich, and sophisticated with a bad boy vibe, Zach Lyon is a tabloid favorite. He may be a vice-president at his father’s company, but up until now he’s just played a supporting role. But when he discovers two executives are conspiring to force his dad out and take over the company, Zach decides it’s time to step into the spotlight. What better way than to take a glamorous new wife to Las Vegas to spend the Christmas holiday at the home of one of the conspiring executives?
As the curtain rises on the eclectic house party, Kate and Zach play their roles against the backdrop of schemers and snobs, while hiding deep secrets of their own. Can Kate pretend to love Zach without revealing the true depth of her attraction? Can Zach prove to his father he has the stability to go from understudy to leading man? They may have wedded on a dare, but with the stage set for romance, their marriage-of-convenience might just turn into a marriage-to-last-a-lifetime.
The Links:
