Learn Why Using a Pen Name May Be a Better Option for Your eBook by David A HorneLearn Why Using a Pen Name May Be a Better Option for Your eBook by David A Horne

Many authors use pen names. There are a number of benefits for using a pen name as outlined below. There are also some negatives associated with pen names, primarily when it comes to non-fiction authors and building their personal brand.

What is a Pen Name?
A pen name is a pseudonym adopted by an author. It is a fictitious name used by an author in place of their actual name. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works.

Just as movie stars use fictitious names for their "acting name," so do authors for writing. Musicians also often use alternative names to their birth name.

Why Would an Author Use a Pen Name?

They Don't Like Their Birth Name
Unfortunately we cannot choose our names when we are born. However, we can change them later on as adults if we do not like our name. For some authors, they may have a name that also belongs to a well known actor, fellow author, criminal or politician that people will associate their name with.

They Believe That Their Birth Name is Not Representative of Their eBook
Some authors wish to choose a name that draws attention to their eBook. How would you like to have a surname that is "money" and write an eBook about finance?

They Were Born With a Name That Contains Certain Unfortunate "Inappropriate" Words
Unfortunately some surnames are also used for medical products, pharmaceutical products or are also used as "inappropriate" or "swear" words.

They Wish to Hide Their Identity
Some authors do not want a public life. They do not wish to conduct signings, speak or be interviewed in public. They don't want fans to be able to track them down.

They Wish to Maintain a High Level of Privacy
Becoming a well known author will intrude on your privacy. For some, this is something that they do not wish to give up.

Their Birth Name is Too Long
Some names just contain too many letters or are hyphenated.

People Are Unable to Spell Their Birth Name
Some names are difficult to spell. This will only cause issues for interviews, your author platform and branding purposes.

People Are Unable to Pronounce Their Birth Name
Many international names are difficult to pronounce.

Their Birth Name is Not Memorable
A memorable name can help promote an eBook. Some authors want to create a more powerful or attention grabbing name.

Some Authors Believe Using a Pen Name Just Adds to Their Creativity
Why not be creative and choose your own name. Many fiction authors like to do this.

You Can Remain Anonymous to Your Friends, Family and Those Who Know You
Sometimes the topic of your eBook may not be well received by those who know you. Many authors of erotica eBooks change their names for this reason.

In Case You Re-marry You Can Still Continue to Use Your Pen Name for Writing
What if you are a well known author who gets married and is faced with changing your name? A pen name won't be affected if you do get married.

Some authors write eBooks for completely different genres and don't want to use the same name for both. If you write a fiction book as well as a non-fiction eBook you may want different names so that you can build your brand specifically for each niche market and that there is no cross-over.

For example; being an author of a romance novel may not go down too well with your fans of a martial arts training eBook you have also produced.

Avoid Retribution
Take Salmon Rushdie for example. After he wrote his famous "satanic versus" in he had to go into hiding for many years as a "fatwah" was put out against him.

Conclusion:
If you are considering using a pen name then please give it a lot of though before taking this step. It is very difficult to change you name down the track, especially if your open name has become well know as your fans will buy your eBooks or products based purely on you brand (your name) .

Pen names are often more associated with fiction authors. Non-fiction authors who are trying to build their brand and establish themselves as an expert within their niche field are often required to use their birth names.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
"eBooks International" is a global media company that is focused on empowering writers and authors to write, promote, publish, sell and profit from their eBooks. eBooks International owns and operates http://www.eBookAuthorAcademy.com which has been helping writers become successfully published authors since 2004.

Tips on Writing a Book

1.       Write every day. Anything you do every day gets easier. If you’re insanely busy, make the amount that you write every day small (100 words? 250 words?) but do it every day.

2.      Write even when the mood isn’t right. You can’t tell if what you’re writing is good or bad while you’re writing it.

3.      Write when the book sucks and it isn’t going anywhere. Just keep writing. It doesn’t suck. Your conscious is having a panic attack because it doesn’t believe your subconscious knows what it’s doing.

4.      Stop in the middle of a sentence, leaving a rough edge for you to start from the next day — that way, you can write three or five words without being “creative” and before you know it, you’re writing.

5.       Write even when the world is chaotic. You don’t need a cigarette, silence, music, a comfortable chair, or inner peace to write. You just need ten minutes and a writing implement.

The Top Seven Reasons Publishers Reject Nonfiction Book Proposals

Publishers and acquisitions editors weigh in to explain why some book proposals and manuscripts are simply do not make it into serious consideration. Avoid these and your manuscript has a real chance of acceptance.

1. Proposal is weak – The proposal doesn’t make a strong case for why this topic and this author is likely to make a profitable book.

2. Nothing new – The approach to this topic doesn’t differentiate itself enough to rise above the other books already available.

3. Author/audience connection not made – Author’s platform is not developed enough to show the author would be a viable salesperson – the database is too small or there is no direct reach such as a speaking schedule or a well-read blog or newsletter.

4. Writing not polished or compelling – The sample chapters weren’t ready for prime time – extensive use of passive voice, excessive use of exclamation points or all caps, no statistics, stories or examples.

5. Not right for the publisher – Either this is not a market the publisher is currently in or the editor/publisher isn’t convinced that he or she wants to jump into this market with this book.

6. Author wrote a journal – The book was written for and about the author, not an identified audience. Personal life stories, in general, are not commercially viable unless you are a famous person or have done or lived through something extraordinary or of significance (made it to the top of Mt. Everest, survived a shipwreck, not just making it through a rough childhood).

7. Unsolicited manuscript – There is no personal connection between the editor/publisher and the author that would make the editor give the proposal more than a quick once over.

Get help with your book proposal. Have a number of people who have been through the process read it and help you make sure it meets all the criteria. Polish it and polish it until you make the best case you can for the publisher to seriously consider making an investment of time and money in you and your book.

For any additional questions please visit www.awritersassistant.com

Putting Semicolons and Colons in Their Place

PUTTING SEMICOLONS AND COLONS IN THEIR PLACE
By: Penny, EzineArticles Managing Editor

Ever get that feeling when you’re writing that a sentence needs just a little something extra to make it cohesive and complete? You know it needs some kind of punctuation to bring home the point, but you can’t decide between a comma, a semicolon, a colon or some other punctuation mark to get the job done.

Well, if you have, you’re not alone. It happens all the time.

To clear the air of mystery around these punctuation marks and decide how and where they fit, we put together this quick guide to putting semicolons and colons in their place.

Interestingly enough, colons and semicolons were originally introduced as a way to represent spots to add pauses in speech that were a little longer than a comma and a little shorter than a period. Now they’ve each taken on their own meaning.

·         Basics of Semicolons
 

Semicolons are commonly used in two ways. They either separate items in a list or they separate two independent clauses in the same sentence.

First, let’s look at how they appear as part of a list:

o    When individual elements of a list have commas, separate the items in the list with semicolons instead of commas. This will commonly appear when you’re listing dates or cities.
 

Incorrect: Over the past 30 years, the three cities that have received the most rainfall in the United States are Mobile, Alabama, Pensacola, Florida and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Correct: Over the past 30 years, the three cities that have received the most rainfall in the United States are Mobile, Alabama; Pensacola, Florida and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Also, use semicolons to separate independent clauses in these three circumstances:

2.    When there’s no conjunction (ex. and, but, or) separating the clauses. If you use a conjunction, a comma will do the job. If not, use a semicolon.
 

Incorrect: Coffee and tea are stimulants, they’re both options to wake us up when we’re tired.

Correct: Coffee and tea are stimulants; they’re both options to wake us up when we’re tired.

3.    When the clauses themselves have commas, like as part of a list. Adding an additional comma into a compound sentence that has a series of commas can get confusing. Separate the clauses with a semicolon instead to make the compound sentence clear.
 

Incorrect: You should watch the weather so you can dress appropriately while camping, and make sure you bring a sleeping bag, lantern and bug spray with you.

Correct: You should watch the weather so you can dress appropriately while camping; and make sure you bring a sleeping bag, lantern and bug spray with you.

4.    When the clauses are separated by a parenthetical expression, like a conjunctive adverb (ex. however, meanwhile, consequently, etc.).
 

Incorrect: Alexander was a Trojan, Achilles, on the other hand, was an Achaean.

Correct: Alexander was a Trojan; Achilles, on the other hand, was an Achaean.

·         Basics of Colons
 

Colons also have a variety of uses. They include starting lists, starting quotations and a variety of special cases.

0.    Colons Starting Lists
 

Use a colon before a list when the list is preceded by a complete independent clause. Don’t use a colon to separate a preposition from its objects or a verb from its compliments. This is a relatively common mistake.

Incorrect: For the recipe, you will need: flour, baking soda, baking powder, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. (The colon separates the verb need from its components.)

Correct: First, go to the grocery store to acquire all the ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract.

1.    Colons Starting Quotations
 

Use colons to introduce formal or lengthy quotations. They can also be used when a quotation isn’t preceded by a “he said/she said” clause.

Correct: Dickens wrote: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Correct: Derek flipped the switch on the loudspeaker: “I have a few announcements to make.”

2.    Colons in Special Cases
 

There are numerous ways that colons are used with special meanings. Think about:

§  Measurements of time (ex. 4:15pm, 7:45am, etc.)

§  Subtitles (ex. One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw, 2 Minute Approval Tips: Deliver On The Article Title, etc.)

§  Salutations In Business Letters (ex. Dear Sir: or Dear Ms Smith:)

§  Labels On Important Ideas (ex. Notice: or Important:)

These are just the basics. We have plenty more advanced punctuation tips to cover, but we’ll save that for a future post or the comments section below. Any questions?

Posted by Penny, Managing Editor on June 8, 2011