self publishing on kindle with a pen name

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turningpoint

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I thought I would comment on my experience writing and self-publishing with a pen name. I don't know if other writers feel this way, but even when I am successful, I prefer to use a pen name. I still make every effort to write well, but I find I can try on a different personality and a different writing style. Does anyone else feel this way? It makes the self-publishing experience fun. I feel that I can be more direct with the pen name.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C1NCD04/?tag=absowrit-20
 

James D. Macdonald

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There are lots of reasons to use pen names. Lots of writers use pen names. Some writers use lots of pen names.

If whatever reason you select helps you write better books no one will say you're wrong.
 

kaitie

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I would be more concerned with the fact that if you use actual anecdotes as implied in the preface, you could have professional consequences. I think using a pen name is a necessity.

I'd also seriously reconsider the "You're an idiot" part of your preface. It might amuse someone who doesn't go to therapy, but getting people to agree to counseling can be challenging at best. There is a serious degree of trust that must be established between client and therapist.

Even aside from the fact that a person reading this book might think twice about participating in counseling because they don't want to risk having a book written about their situation, I have a serious concern when someone says things that imply "this is what your therapist is really thinking."

The last thing you need is readers who might benefit from counseling (and considering that seems to be the audience your aiming for, that's a fair assumption) reading your opening and deciding that they'll never go because they the therapist is just lying to them. This sort of statement undermines the trust therapy is built on.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if you really want people to "wake up" and see the mistakes they're making, you should drastically change the tone of that opening and make it considerate, respectful, and understanding.
 

turningpoint

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hmmm, interesting, Katie. Every example in the book has been made generic. I talk about types, not specifics. I certainly don't want to discourage someone from seeking counseling. The audience I am aiming for would be people who have questions about what they are doing. Can they save their marriage? Are they making foolish mistakes? The tone of the book is related to my desire to shake up the reader who may be hurting other people very seriously. If the reader doesn't identify with my descriptions, they can discard them.
But I am very interested in what you are saying. I lay out specific patterns that contribute to the failure of marriages in my essay, but of course there can be exceptions. Thank you for your comments.
 
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shelleyo

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I use different pen names for different genres. Working out well so far.
 

Creative_Solitude

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I"m using a pen name for my stuff too. I agree that it's fun to use a different name. Besides, my real name doesn't sound "authorish" enough. :)
 

kaitie

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hmmm, interesting, Katie. Every example in the book has been made generic. I talk about types, not specifics. I certainly don't want to discourage someone from seeking counseling. The audience I am aiming for would be people who have questions about what they are doing. Can they save their marriage? Are they making foolish mistakes? The tone of the book is related to my desire to shake up the reader who may be hurting other people very seriously. If the reader doesn't identify with my descriptions, they can discard them.
But I am very interested in what you are saying. I lay out specific patterns that contribute to the failure of marriages in my essay, but of course there can be exceptions. Thank you for your comments.

In the opening page you give the example of the husband who always invited the mother and sister over. I'm not sure I would call that generic, unless you changed it or invented it.

Honestly, the concept makes me uncomfortable because it sounds too close to an invasion of privacy for amusement. Maybe if the tone didn't feel mocking I wouldn't mind.
 

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Using a pen-name is no guarantee that your real identity will be protected. With all the internet to play with it's relatively easy to connect things together.

How will you feel if (perhaps when) your patients discover your book? When they discover that you think they're idiots? When they realise you've been keeping a tally of their mistakes all these years? Or when the husband who invited his mother and sister round so often recognises himself and sues you for your breach of confidentiality? I don't think any of this is acceptable, and much of it might well be actionable.

I've read the sample of your kindle book and thought its tone was extremely unprofessional. You don't come across as dispensing brisk tough-love, you sound sneery, dismissive, and disrespectful. You glory in the foolishness of your patients, and that's not appropriate.

Also, if you're determined to keep this essay on sale (and in your place, I really wouldn't), you might want to brush up on your grammar and punctuation. I found several mistakes in the short sample I downloaded.
 

christwriter

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hmmm, interesting, Katie. Every example in the book has been made generic. I talk about types, not specifics. I certainly don't want to discourage someone from seeking counseling. The audience I am aiming for would be people who have questions about what they are doing. Can they save their marriage? Are they making foolish mistakes? The tone of the book is related to my desire to shake up the reader who may be hurting other people very seriously. If the reader doesn't identify with my descriptions, they can discard them.
But I am very interested in what you are saying. I lay out specific patterns that contribute to the failure of marriages in my essay, but of course there can be exceptions. Thank you for your comments.

In my experience the kind of people who buy self help books are usually not the people who need the shake-up talk. Screaming "It's your fault" might help, but as a patient, and somebody who's known a lot of patients (my parents are both counselors, albeit drug abuse and not marriage counselors) the people most likely to listen to "it's your fault" are the people who already have that tape running in their heads.

If nothing else, it kind of strikes me as lacking a heck of a lot of empathy. Yes, it's nice to get to say the kind of thing you're probably thinking during counseling sessions with idiots, but not in public, and not when your target audience are the desperate (and probably codependent) spouses.

The assholes? Yeah, they're not going to buy the book. They think they're perfect. That's why they're assholes.

As for the pen name...haven't used one yet (Mostly because I failed to understand you can put Prince Humperdink into the "Author" part of the KDP "publish a new book" form and nobody's going to give a damn. If I had ten minutes to do it over again, I'd use a pen name. Maybe.) (...it's still kind of nice to look up my books on Amazon and show my relatives that I have books with my name on them there) so using one now doesn't really appeal to me. If I chose to branch out into something like erotica (because we like to be paid...) or decided to do something that isn't my "brand"--which has kind of evolved into weird-ass sci-fi/fantasy--maybe. The other value in a pen-name would be dropping a name people already associate with bad product, but that's kind of like doing the geographic cure when you're an alcoholic. If a drunk asshole gets on a plane in New York, a drunk asshole gets off in Atlanta. If a writer sucks when her name is Sophie Tucker, she's going to suck when her name is Marla Singer. She just might get another three minutes worth of sales.

Why a writer would want to start over under a new name when the old name is already successful, I'll never know. It's hard enough getting an audience the first time. (which is the other reason "going off-brand" isn't that appealing to me. I'm BARELY to the point where I can count on twenty sales a month. Why the bleep would I want to go back down to zero?)

I think the biggest question is (always excepting erotica, because people go insane when sex is involved) if you'd be ashamed of having it associated with your real name, why would you publish it at all?
 

turningpoint

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Several of you have raised important concerns. I don't want my essay to sound as harsh as it is evidently coming across. As far as the "idiot" remark goes, that word is used in the same paragraph that I remark on how much of what I learned came from my own foolishness. After having seen hundreds of cases, believe it or not the examples I give are very common and I include no identifiable information, although granted, the examples I choose should resonate with the readers.

I wanted the book to come across with a kind of tough love tone and humor. I've seen this kind of writing done successfully and I thought it might work here. The feedback that I'm getting is suggesting that it isn't, but if any read the whole thing I wonder if you would still feel that way. If a few people would like to PM I can gift you a kindle copy and you can see if you still have the same opinion.

I found the pen name liberating to me as a way to explore and look at marriages from an overview.
 

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Several of you have raised important concerns. I don't want my essay to sound as harsh as it is evidently coming across. As far as the "idiot" remark goes, that word is used in the same paragraph that I remark on how much of what I learned came from my own foolishness.

But you use the word "idiot" to refer to your clients, not to yourself, and it sounds both rude and disrespectful.

After having seen hundreds of cases, believe it or not the examples I give are very common and I include no identifiable information, although granted, the examples I choose should resonate with the readers.

So there won't be one bloke who thinks he recognises himself in your book, there could be hundreds. Which means this is even more risky than I first thought.

I wanted the book to come across with a kind of tough love tone and humor.

It doesn't come across that way at all, I'm afraid. It sounds like you're just belittling the people who have paid you for your professional services, which makes you look unpleasant.

To have that tough-love tone you need to respect and care for your clients and if you do, that doesn't come across in your writing. You sound like you feel contempt for them all.

I've seen this kind of writing done successfully and I thought it might work here. The feedback that I'm getting is suggesting that it isn't, but if any read the whole thing I wonder if you would still feel that way. If a few people would like to PM I can gift you a kindle copy and you can see if you still have the same opinion.

I read the whole of your Kindle sample, and found the tone unvaryingly unpleasant. Your potential readers won't read more than I did, because that sample is of a fixed length. If you don't engage with your readers in that sample it doesn't matter if the tone changes later on in the book: that's too late.

I found the pen name liberating to me as a way to explore and look at marriages from an overview.

You're not exploring those marriages, though, you're writing about them in the hope of profiting from it.

Your pen name does not guarantee that your true identity will be kept separate from your book. Are you prepared for that to happen, and for what will happen to your career at that point?
 

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Leslie,

I like the tone and content of the sample. It brings to mind folks I know, and I think they might have gained from having such an abrupt reality check while there was still time.

But that's off topic. You asked about the pen name. I don't think it shields you much from your patients when you use your real name in the copyright notice. The same name is on your website, so it isn't difficult to make the connection.

Good luck with the book.
 

turningpoint

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Thank you, Al. I didn't use the pen name to shield myself from clients, although I joke about that in the essay. I used the pen name to allow myself to try a different voice. I am concerned about the reactions the piece is getting, however. I also know I have not revealed any particular person's specific story, so I am not sure why so many people seem to think I am endangering myself. I will consider re writing the piece to make it softer, however. I used the pen name because I thought writing anonymously would allow me to be tough and possibly save a few people from much worse than my harsh remarks.
I appreciate all the comments offered here, no matter how critical. I also know you don't say these things this way because you don't care. ;)
 
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turningpoint

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actually a footnote. Several people have taken the time to comment to me about the pen name theme and the unintended theme for this discussion of my essay's tone.

here are the last two paragraphs of my essay:

"Perhaps you find this essay to have been harsh. I agree, it is a bit harsh. It has been distilled from many years of experience as a psychotherapist. I wrote it this way because I want to help you spend less time barking up the wrong tree. I am hoping that reading this essay can save you a year or two or more of a misguided effort.

In the end, I have the deepest respect for marriage. Each marriage or relationship is a new chance to learn. Not in a sad way: “It hurt but at least I learned something.” No, in a joyous way. It’s just that to access that joy you need wisdom. This essay has reflected my effort to give you a little of that wisdom in advance. Perhaps you can profit from what some others have lived through."

If you met me, you would meet a rather soft spoken woman in her later middle years. My pen name has allowed me to play a blunt speaking person. In my sessions, I don't talk like this. No person has been described, named or in anyway slandered in my essay. The behaviors I mention are invented blends of common behaviors. As far as how my patients feel about this booklet- so far everyone likes it, maybe because they know me and the voice is so different than mine. Of course it is an aspect of me. Clearly if you don't know me, the tone is not working for most of you. I don't know if these comments help or hurt, but let me know, if you would.
 

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I also know I have not revealed any particular person's specific story, so I am not sure why so many people seem to think I am endangering myself.

Because even though you might have changed enough details to anonymise (sp?) the stories you've told, it's still possible that if any of ex-clients read your book they'll see your real name right there in the copyright statement and will think you were referring to them. And they might well sue you for breach of confidence, and if they do, and can show any parallels between their problems and your book, you're going to be in serious trouble.

actually a footnote. Several people have taken the time to comment to me about the pen name theme and the unintended theme for this discussion of my essay's tone.

Leslie, as I've already pointed out, when people consider buying your book they don't read that bit because it's at the end of your essay: they read the sample you've provided, which is what most of us have to go on. And it's off-putting. You don't come across well in it.
 

turningpoint

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Hello Old Hack,

I appreciate your comments. I don't mean to be dumb, but why would I be in serious trouble? How could a client sue me just based on general similarities between their problems and the ones I describe? Most marital problems concern large issues like communication or infidelity. I don't discuss infidelity in my essay but I probably will in another one. One of the most common way for an affair to start is as a "triangle." If I describe a triangle, many people will identify. But how would that make me open to lawsuit?
 
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Ann Joyce

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Leslie,

I like the tone and content of the sample. It brings to mind folks I know, and I think they might have gained from having such an abrupt reality check while there was still time.

But that's off topic. You asked about the pen name. I don't think it shields you much from your patients when you use your real name in the copyright notice. The same name is on your website, so it isn't difficult to make the connection.

Good luck with the book.

I agree with Al. I, too, liked the sample and enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek aspect of your writing. I used to pal around with an older English lady who was a much-loved counselor. She'd also been round the block once or twice. The bits that rolled off her tongue would have made you look like a lamb in comparison. Yet people lined up to get appointments with her, finding her bluntness refreshing, while knowing that she really cared about them. She brought forth a treasure trove of wisdom in her counsel.

And as far as the pen name goes, I agree with Al's comments about that too. If you want to remain anonymous, you probably don't want to use your real name at all in connection with that book.

Wishing you much success. Blessings!
 

kaitie

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actually a footnote. Several people have taken the time to comment to me about the pen name theme and the unintended theme for this discussion of my essay's tone.

here are the last two paragraphs of my essay:

"Perhaps you find this essay to have been harsh. I agree, it is a bit harsh. It has been distilled from many years of experience as a psychotherapist. I wrote it this way because I want to help you spend less time barking up the wrong tree. I am hoping that reading this essay can save you a year or two or more of a misguided effort.

In the end, I have the deepest respect for marriage. Each marriage or relationship is a new chance to learn. Not in a sad way: “It hurt but at least I learned something.” No, in a joyous way. It’s just that to access that joy you need wisdom. This essay has reflected my effort to give you a little of that wisdom in advance. Perhaps you can profit from what some others have lived through."

If you met me, you would meet a rather soft spoken woman in her later middle years. My pen name has allowed me to play a blunt speaking person. In my sessions, I don't talk like this. No person has been described, named or in anyway slandered in my essay. The behaviors I mention are invented blends of common behaviors. As far as how my patients feel about this booklet- so far everyone likes it, maybe because they know me and the voice is so different than mine. Of course it is an aspect of me. Clearly if you don't know me, the tone is not working for most of you. I don't know if these comments help or hurt, but let me know, if you would.

Maybe it would be worth using your real voice? To be honest, the last two paragraphs strike me as condescending. They come across (to me) as saying "so I'm here to tell you the right way to do this because you're doing it wrong."

Voice is a really difficult thing to capture and do well. I'm also all for experimenting with voice. I do it all the time in my writing, and I know what you mean about a pen name--it's almost like slipping on a different identity. I'm just not sure this is the best book to experiment on.

As Old Hack said, if you're going for humor and a light tone, that's fine, but self-mocking is okay, or generalized humor. There isn't a strong sense of respect right now, and it came across to me more like "I've worked with people for years and now I'm going to tell you the annoying things they do so you don't do those annoying things, too." In other words, it sounds almost more like a book about how not to annoy you rather than something focused on helping people find there way.

I might be overly sensitive to this, as psychology is my degree field as well (I'm currently teaching), but I do think you're walking a fine line in terms of what would be considered professional, and I do think there could be professional consequences.
 

Old Hack

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Hello Old Hack,

I appreciate your comments. I don't mean to be dumb, but why would I be in serious trouble? How could a client sue me just based on general similarities between their problems and the ones I describe? Most marital problems concern large issues like communication or infidelity. I don't discuss infidelity in my essay but I probably will in another one. One of the most common way for an affair to start is as a "triangle." If I describe a triangle, many people will identify. But how would that make me open to lawsuit?

You can be sued for anything, Leslie. You don't have to be guilty of anything for someone else to start court proceedings against you. If an ex-client of yours read your book and thought they recognised aspects of the things they talked to you about, they might well take you to court.

Even if they were to lose their case, consider how damaging such a case would be to your career. And if you think this sounds unlikely, consider how increasingly litigious our society is.

If their legal representatives showed enough parallels between their case and your book, you'd be in even worse trouble.

I'm also concerned about how unprofessional and unethical this looks, too. I would expect that there are guidelines you have to follow about such things, and wonder if you're conforming to them.
 

Alice Xavier

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I don't really understand the bit in the preface announcing/disclaiming that you're using a pseudonym and are afraid of clients/patients calling their lawyers.

In other psych books that I've read detailing stories case studies, there's a formal disclaimer in the copyright matter saying that names and certain details have been changed. I'd also imagine that the subjects granted permission to be written about. You should probably look into doctor/patient confidentiality laws and stuff. I don't know if it's as strict with therapists or less-regulated practices (do you need board certification to be a psychotherapist?), but privacy and confidentiality is still a huge thing. Go find a psych professor at a local university and ask him/her about how to write about patient stories and what's involved with that.

I agree with Old Hack that it sounds unprofessional and even unethical, especially given the unprofessional, defensive nature of your disclaimer.

And I'd suggest not even stating that you're writing under a pen name. Just be your pen name. I'm Alice Xavier when I write, not [the IRL me] writing under a pen name. As far as my readers are concerned, I really do write my erotica while wearing expensive lingerie and sipping bourbon. (Yeah yeah everyone KNOWS that it's a pen name because it's erotica, but that's not the point.) I've seen Amazon author profiles where the writer is all 'THIS IS MY PSEUDONYM' and it just feels amateurish.

Also, aside from the issues with privacy and the preface, why do you have a full-cover print file for your cover? Can you upload a version with just the front page? I don't need/want a back cover with a designated ISBN barcode area for my Kindle edition. That non-regular cover won't display nicely on people's e-readers either. I haven't done CreateSpace, but I can't imagine it wouldn't provide separate options for providing a cover for print/production and a proper-dimension cover file for Amazon storefront display.
 

turningpoint

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Thanks Alice, all very helpful comments. I'll take a look at making some improvements. This is my first kindle book. Lots of kinks to work out. I'll work on the disclaimer and being a bit more elegant with the pen name. Good point.
 

shelleyo

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I didn't read your sample when answering the pen name question. I've just read it and found it off-putting in the extreme. The comments do feel more insulting than simply candid.

I think you need to not say that you're using pseudonym so people won't recognize themselves and get upset or call a lawyer. Saying that is equivalent to saying that you are speaking about specific people and their histories, and you would be at risk of legal action if only they knew. Maybe say that you're using fictional examples that are representative of the types of clients you're used to seeing.

As it stands, given the tone of it and the lack of actual qualifications showing anywhere, I'd dismiss it pretty easily.

You could use your real name and fictional examples, and your qualifications would probably lend more creedence to what you're saying. It almost seems as if you chose a fake name so you could tell stories that were told to you in confidence and then say whatever you wanted to about those people without fear of consequence. I'm not saying that's your intention, but that's how it appears, which is at least as important.
 

turningpoint

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Wow, you all are a tough group! Shelleyo, I think if you had worked in the field I have for the last many years and if you had read the whole essay, you would probably recognize what I am talking about. In any case, I hear that most people aren't enjoying the voice I used in this piece and I respect your opinions. On the other hand I may have to sue you all for slander since I am becoming quite upset and I understand now that I can sue for anything. ;)
Peace
 
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kaitie

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Libel.

As Old Hack mentioned, people will judge your book by the sample. If it's off-putting to people, they won't buy the book and give it a try to find out if it gets better. And a book should be relateable (that a word?) even to those who aren't in the profession, especially when the audience you're trying for is more the people who would need therapy rather than those giving it.
 

merrihiatt

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I just read the sample. I found several errors that would dissuade me from purchasing the book, but I saw where you were coming from. It read more as a cathartic book for frustrated counselors than for assisting couples.

Sales will be the barometer. There may be a group of people who will love it and understand your intention. I wasn't one of them. If I hadn't read this thread and been curious, I would have read the sample, shrugged my shoulders and never thought about the book again.

We are a tough group. Readers are tougher.
 
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