Publishing and Self-publishing: Advice for Writers

Topic Request: Pen Names [Filipino/English]

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May nagtanong about pen names, and will assume na lang na sa traditionally published print books ang tinatanong niya. Yes, choosing a name matters, pag na-publish. Kapag ang Wattpad username mo ang author name mo sa libro, that sends a signal to buyers: Itong libro ay mula sa Wattpad. Ito ang username niya doon. Kapag cutesy at hindi tunay na pangalan ang username, may effect ito sa mga buyer. It could be good or bad. (Good, dahil yung mga mahilig magbasa ng online stories at kilala ka sa Wattpad will find you easily. Bad, because yung hindi nagbabasa ng online stories, at nag-decide na hindi sila ganoong klaseng reader, might not pick up your book at all.) Pero kung galing kang Wattpad at yung publisher mo ay pinili ka dahil taga-Wattpad ka, malamang you won't have a choice. Your audience and target readers will be the people who already know your account here.

Kapag naging mas involved na siguro tayo sa publishing, at nakatingin na tayo sa isang long-term career as an author na hindi na dependent on Wattpad success, you might want to use a different pen name. Pero katulad din ng pagpili ng username sa Wattpad, nagiging attached ang readers sa pen name. A pen name doesn't have to be a "fake name" -- my own pen name is a version of my real name. I decided to keep my real name for use in my career only, so when someone googles that, they don't see my fiction work. 

May mga author naman na dalawa ang pen name kasi nagsusulat sila sa magkaibang genre o category (for example, to separate their teen fiction from adult fiction). It's a common practice, pero personally hindi ko na to ginawa kasi mahirap mag-maintain ng marketing and promotional work para sa dalawang pangalan. Feeling ko, I'll have to work twice as hard para mapansin at maalala ng readers yung pangalan ko. Pero kung may publisher ka naman at sila ang magma-marketing para sa yo, baka mas madali itong gawin.

I hope this answered your question! :)