with guest blogger Dora Hiers aka Tori Kayson
After our beloved golden passed away last year, it didn’t take me long to realize how much I valued canine companionship. Someone to talk to besides my fictional characters and a reason to get my tush out of the chair. Visiting a shelter and loving on some puppies should fix that, right? Ha! Meet Bolder and Que, our adopted rescues. (Stop laughing! :) )
My decision to adopt another writing name surprised me as much as adopting these two hooligans. Why mess with a good thing? After all, with almost a dozen Christian romances already published under my real name, I’d built and established my Heart Racing, God-Gracing Romance brand. But I finally caved to the year-long nudge to venture outside that box, to write clean romance sprinkled with subtle themes of hope, grace, and second chances. A pseudonym would give readers clear expectations, number eight on Mary Connealy’s Top ten reasons you might want to publish under a pseudonym. (Awesome list, Mary!!)
So, Tori Kayson, author of Sweet Romance that Sizzles, was born. Kayson is a combination of my grandkiddos’ names, so it has special significance to me. You might be surprised how difficult choosing a pen name can be. All. Those. Names. To. Choose. From. And then googling combinations to ensure it didn’t compete with an erotica or enormously popular author. (Again, thanks to Mary’s list!!)
Myra invited me to share my experiences writing with a double identity, so here goes…
BE PREPARED FOR THE UGLY
The Christening
Think the puppy created this mess? Wrong! Sweet and easy-going Que did this, the day after we brought him home. Apparently, separation anxiety is common among shelter dogs. The next two days we crated him, but he worked himself into a frenzy trying to wrangle through those bars. Thankfully, we found a sweet spot for him, hunkered down in our utility room with his bed and plenty of doggy treats.
By the time Tori’s first book released, extended family had forgotten about my second name. You can imagine the horrified reactions when hubby shared this strange female’s social media posts. Rather than let rumors propagate, I publicized my double identity.
Image courtesy of Pixabay
The Cost
Since I intended to self-publish with a business name, a CPA advised me to form a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) and file a Doing Business As (DBA). A DBA in my county costs $26 and is a one-time deal, but the LLC drains $200 from my bank account every year. A block of ten ISBN’s will set you back $295 unless you catch a sale. Book covers range from a-dinner-out to go-ahead-and-reserve-the-whole-banquet-room. Scratch these expenses with the traditional publishing route, but you’ll still face…
The Confusion
Did I send the blog post with the links to the right book? Did I upload the book on Amazon with the correct author name? How many books was Dora supposed to publish this year? Wait, did I just write that little spiritual nugget in Tori’s book?
The Commitment
Managing multiple websites, blogs, and social media accounts requires a ginormous chunk of time. Would you want to maintain two websites and a blog…or two? Not me! I combined my author websites and blog into one WordPress account. Check out my one author, two names design here. What do you think?
SAME BREED, DIFFERENT METHODS
To run, Que hobbles using both front legs. Bolder takes individual steps with each leg. Writers have similar end goals, but take different routes to get there.
- With multiple names, you might need distinct identities on social media. Consider which social media sites will provide the best return for your time and how to use them. Fiction Faith & Foodies covered my needs for both names on both Instagram and blog. For Twitter, one account tweeted writing related links while the other focused on reading and female interests.
- Uploading to Smashwords was a head-banger. Conversely, KDP was painless, so that’s my sweet spot. Others rave about BookBaby. Not everyone shares the same experiences. Be willing to try different methods.
- The marketing techniques/venues that create such a buzz for one name may fizzle with the other.
THE ADJUSTMENT PERIOD
The little dude needs to burn off all that puppy energy and the big guy’s trying to shed a few pounds, so a robust walk every morning is a MUST, but that means adjusting my schedule. The same applies for writing with multiple names.
- How many books will you write each year? My goal for this year is one per name, but typically it’s four or five books. I depend on an Excel spreadsheet to track word count goals and keep me on target. You may prefer Scrivener or a day planner. Be flexible and allow for the occasional curveball. Puppydom tanked my word count for the first three months.
- Early on, I struggled to promote blog posts and books using Hootsuite’s free version. Now IFTTT applets populate my tweets and I hop on Twitter occasionally to respond and retweet. I’m not a fan of Facebook and only update my Author Page once or twice a week. Recently, I’m embracing the “less is more” philosophy and, after reevaluating my social media accounts, combined Twitter and Facebook. Why use two when I can accomplish my objective with one? Which brings me to my next point…
- Could I have stuck with my real name and adopted a new, inclusive tagline? I’m open to that possibility, especially now after a few trials and errors. Beefing up the book description and a properly designed book cover would let readers know that, while it’s not Christian fiction, they can still expect a sweet, clean romance that leaves them with a happy sigh at the end.
THE PAYOFF
It took months to potty/yard train the puppy and deal with Que’s separation anxiety. Nowadays life is so much smoother, the days so much sweeter, and I’m finally able to truly enjoy these little darlings. The same goes for double identities. Prepare yourself for the ugly in the beginning, take time to adapt, and brace yourself for the occasional curveballs. Then, embrace your freedom and enjoy the ride!
Take a doughnut and chime in!
If you’ve been on the fence about adopting another name, have I convinced you to accept the double dog dare? What name would you use and what’s the significance?
How do you feel when your favorite author writes in more than one genre? Would you prefer that they use a pseudonym?
About Dora: Dora believes that a person should love what they do or choose to do something else. She’s doing exactly what makes her heart sing, and considers every day a gift. When she takes a break from cranking out heart racing, God-gracing romances, Dora adores reading, chowing down on her hubby’s lip-smacking home-smoked ribs, and sipping coffee on a mountain cabin deck. Life’s too short to be stuck in traffic, to drink bad coffee, or to read books with a sad ending. Dora and her real life hero make their home in North Carolina, but with a world full of amazing places to explore, that’s only a landing point.
Come hang out with Dora on Fiction Faith & Foodies, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. She loves hearing from reader friends at DoraHiers@gmail.com. Dora also writes sweet romance that sizzles under the pen name, Tori Kayson.
Giveaway: Dora has graciously offered two giveaways, a Faith plants the seed, Love makes it grow Journal, AND I have always imagined Paradise to be a kind of Library Scarf.
Specify your choice in a comment (limited to US residents, please)
Kissing Santa Nic by Tori Kayson is FREE for Kindle today!
Firefighter Karley “Nic” Nicolas intends to win Merriville's coveted Police vs Firefighter Basketball game this year. Not only because her ex-boyfriend plays for the opposing team, but victory means a huge check for her beloved charity to honor her twin brother. Losing is NOT an option…until the reclusive detective Gray Newnan flashes his rare smile and makes her forget why she’s even on the court.
Detective Gray Newnan isn't ready to dive back into the dating scene. Two years isn't long enough to recover from his ex-wife's abandonment after learning of their son's autism. But after Karley's recent breakup with his coworker, Gray finds it difficult to stay immune to her giving spirit. From that first shove on the basketball court to discovering the true identity of Santa Nic, Gray must reconsider his solitary life or risk losing a second chance at love this Christmas.
Detective Gray Newnan isn't ready to dive back into the dating scene. Two years isn't long enough to recover from his ex-wife's abandonment after learning of their son's autism. But after Karley's recent breakup with his coworker, Gray finds it difficult to stay immune to her giving spirit. From that first shove on the basketball court to discovering the true identity of Santa Nic, Gray must reconsider his solitary life or risk losing a second chance at love this Christmas.
Thank YOU so much, Myra, for inviting me back to Seekerville!!