Would a non-fiction credit ruin my debut status?

hikarinotsubasa · Mar 3, 2015

Long story short, I do lots of textbook writing for hire. One of my clients, a company in Korea, sent me an email offering to credit me as a co-author when they register the ISBN. All of the other books I've worked on have been credited to the company and not to any individual. I'd be honored and flattered to be listed as an author, and it would certainly help me get more work for hire... but would being credited on a textbook make me not a debut author if and when my novel gets published?

I can't imagine practically that it would hurt... even if the book doesn't sell, a textbook and a novel are such completely different things. But if it would make my first novel not my debut somehow, I'll tell them I prefer to be anonymous. Thanks!

Heroine'sJourney · Mar 3, 2015

I don't know if using a pseudonym for one or both of your areas is something you'd want to do, but that is what I am doing.

Helix · Mar 3, 2015

It'd still be a debut novel, no matter how many textbooks you'd published. And if there was a connection between the material in the textbooks and your fiction, so much the better.

hikarinotsubasa · Mar 3, 2015

Thanks! That's what I was thinking as far as a debut novel.

I'd be willing to use a psuedonym, but I've made all of my professional contacts and writing contacts under my real name so far, so it would take a bit of work to get the word out.

And it's a grammar textbook... so that may look good to some extent in a query letter (at least the agent will know they're not going to get a lot of "their/there/they're" mistakes, right?), but probably doesn't help when it comes to platform.

Becky Black · Mar 3, 2015

Lots of people do lots of other kinds of writing before becoming a debut novelist. They're still a debut novelist.

And is "debut status" something that needs to be protected anyway? Most novelists are more than keen to get past being a debut novelist. Besides it qualifying you for entry into contests for debut novelists then there's nothing about it that's especially precious, is there?

Perks · Mar 3, 2015

Nope. A debut novelist cannot be undone by a nonfiction credit. You're golden.

Best of luck!

InkStainedWench · Mar 3, 2015

hikarinotsubasa, I've published seven non-fiction books under my own name, and am seeking representation for my first novel. I identify it in the query as my debut mystery, which it is. Then at the end of the letter, I refer briefly to the non-fiction, and say, "BESTSELLING WHODUNIT is my first work of fiction."

I think you should be proud to have your name on the textbook, and promote your novel as a debut.

greendragon · Mar 3, 2015

I've published two travel books (one on Ireland, one on Scotland) and now my first novels are set in Ireland (Historical Fantasy). I think it will HELP my first novels by having already established some cred about Ireland.

hikarinotsubasa · Mar 4, 2015

Thanks everyone! I've given them the go-ahead to credit me, and I'm excited about it. As to why I want to protect my debut status... well, some agents and publishers mention that they're looking specifically for debut authors and that if you have published before, your sales numbers better be up there. Of course I hope that this textbook sells well, but since I have nothing to do with the company's efforts to sell it to schools and retailers, I wouldn't want it to come back to hurt me if it didn't.

Since the two seem to be unrelated, I'll keep putting my name out there proudly with both! Thanks.

WeaselFire · Mar 4, 2015

hikarinotsubasa said:
Long story short...

Short answer even shorter:

No.

Jeff

Would a non-fiction credit ruin my debut status?

hikarinotsubasa

Human, last I checked

Heroine'sJourney

SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM!

Helix

socially distancing

hikarinotsubasa

Human, last I checked

Becky Black

Writing my way off the B Ark

Perks

delicate #!&@*#! flower

InkStainedWench

It's a dirty job, but...

greendragon

hikarinotsubasa

Human, last I checked

WeaselFire

Benefactor Member