Posted by KVTaylor in I googled myself once, and that was the first time I started to understand what this whole attempt at writing-as-a-business would be like. The second was when I actually bought a domain that was my name, which is definitely the most narcissistic thing I’ve ever done.
Apart from attempt writing-as-a-business, of course.
The two are related. I googled myself to see, on the off chance that anyone ever published me, if I’d be easily findable for anyone who might feel the urge. My name is Kate Taylor, which is probably a close second to Jane Smith in the “most common white girl names ever” category, so the answer was obviously no. And so I began the Great Pen Name Search.
My first instinct was to find some permutation of my own, but it seemed like a lost cause. I considered my married name briefly, but it 1. is super long and difficult for a lot of people to remember and 2. South Indian, which carries a lot of cultural implications for people who’d recognize it as such. The latter is annoying, since if I married an Italian dude, no one would think twice if I went by, say, Fiorenza (yeah so that’s one of my character’s last names, but I needed an example), but hey. Also, some girl called Viswanathan was caught out plagiarizing last year or whatever… that’ll die out, but still, there it is. Anyhow, I wanted my name.
I considered, on the advice of awesome friends, the name of the street on which I grew up (which made me sound like a New England Puritan), my mother’s maiden name (which just made me sound Super Irish), and a million other solutions that’d work well, but weren’t mine. Then I remembered the whole initials thing, and landed here.
Was this as complicated for anyone else? Or was I just making life difficult for something that doesn’t matter, as usual?
Anyhow, I’m off for the weekend! If you don’t hear from me it’s not because I don’t love you. I do! (What do you mean you hadn’t noticed?)
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Now playing: Franz Ferdinand – Katherine Hit Me
via FoxyTunes
I wish I’d thought about it a bit more, but a Michael J Fox obsession may have thrown the J into the mix (though it is the initial of my actual hideous middle name). I often wish I could change it, but it feels too late because I am soooooo well known now (ahem!).
I actually never bothered to think that much about mine. Both my first and last name are fairly rare, and the combination is entirely unique – I’m likely the only Corinne Duyvis to ever have existed. (Which is pretty cool, now I think about it.)
In retrospect, I should probably have gone for the initials. C.S. Duyvis doesn’t sound too bad and is easier to remember (and spell correctly), not to mention it’s how I sign my art, but er… I just haven’t felt the urge to change it yet.
At least I’ll have an alternative ready in case I ever need something gender-neutral or my future agent (cough, cough) thinks it’s a good idea.
It was a pain in the ass. Like you, I had to consider the ethnic surname issue: I worried readers would feel “tricked” when they realized I wasn’t Chinese. I made sure to put a picture up on Myspace (the blue eyes are a dead giveaway).
I was surprised at how many people thought I made up “Sin.” On the plus side, it doesn’t seem anyone has been heartbroken by my whiteness.
I’ve been pondering the pseudonym thing for a while now. I share my name with at least three other authors, a poet, and a couple of infamous murderers. Being mistaken for a poet is a real bummer.
You know I’ve gone rounds with the name game, and dropped my A. There is an Aaron Polson in Austraila on facebook(I’m sure more elsewhere), but I’m pretty much it as far as writers. Lucky my parents chose such a bizarro blend of names, I ’spose. I like KV Taylor. Perfect for you.
As Cory pointed out, the initials thing is gender-neutral so has a plus side. I have used my middle initial since my teens. Not because I’m pretentious, but because I’m a “junior”. My dad, Alan Sr., used to open my mail so I started using the initial for ’security’ reasons (not that I had anything to hide…).
Name origins have always fascinated me. Many years back I did a bit of family tree research. Davidson is Scottish, but I found a good number from Ireland and also in the American south. I assume this is due to many fleeing the “English invasions” hundreds of years ago.
Anyway, off topic again, as usual. I’m with Aaron, KV Taylor is a perfect choice. I know that I’ll find your book no matter what your name is.
Michael J. Fox was my first celebrity crush, Cate. Teen Wolf was the reason. That movie rules! But I agree, after you’ve had so many published it’s probably iffy to change it… or to change it much.
But I like the J!
Cory, I think your name is lovely, and you’re right, there’s not going to be another of you. C.S. Duyvis sounds cool, but I think Corinne Duyvis is weirdly appropriate for what you write. Possibly because it’s so original, and I’m reading an extremely original, cracky book of yours right now…
Nat, yes, the “tricked” thing totally would’ve been a big deal if I’d used Viswanathan. I think different communities expect different things, and… yeah. You know what I mean. Sin seems like it could be a pen name or anything really, so it’s not all that misleading… and personally I think it makes it cooler that you’re writing outside your upbringing box, and in an awesome way.
Maybe that’s why no one’s disappointed
Mike, ugh, yes. A poet? Gross! (Ha, you’re a trip!) I guess Micheal Stone must not be too awful far from Kate Taylor in the “white anglo-saxon descended names” category, huh?
Aaron, yeah man, you definitely got an original one that’s also easy to recall, which is rare. Your parents did good by you– no doubt they realized you’d need an appropriate writer name. Thanks!
Alan, ha! Yeah, that’s definitely a cause for the middle initial to come into play. Davidson isn’t too uncommon, but certainly nowhere near Johnson and the like on the “oh god, they’re everywhere!” scale. Plus there’s something about the cadence of “Alan W. Davidson” spoken aloud that I like. I don’t know what. It’s aesthetically pleasing somehow. (So much for my art historian mentality, huh?)
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
The whole concept never even occurred to me… but since I was going to be schlepping my stuff at Fest it probably would’ve been pointless. Yeah, more people probably knew me there as Bryn at the time (and I’m sure more know me by Trinket now), but still.
I’m rather blessed in that the only Meghan-with-an-”h” Brunner I’ve yet run into was an accident on Facebook. She was mildly creeped as she too thought she was the only one. She lives on some island off Florida, I guess, and looks nothing like me. I was mildly disappointed in that because it would’ve made for a great horror story had there been more similarities.
However, if I’d been in your shoes I’m sure I would’ve given it more consideration.