Here's the set-up: I wrote a book for a vampire box set that's now off the market. The book's called Earth Blood is Easy and it's a quirky sci-fi New Adult heteromance about an alien vampire who's shocked when she discovers you can't just order up blood by the glass here on earth. You have to like... suck it... out of people!
No sex. It's fun and funny (I guess it's a romantic comedy?), but it really doesn't fit with my... ummm... repertoire? What's the word I'm looking for? Well, you know what I mean. I write erotica and queer fiction. This book isn't erotic and it isn't queer. It doesn't scream Giselle.
So my question is, what should I do with it? It's previously published, but only in the box set. It was published as Earth Blood is Easy by Giselle Renarde, so whatever I do with it I'm not, like, disowning it or anything. That said, I feel like if I pub it that way (either self-pub or with an indie publisher), I'm acknowledging that it's mine, I wrote it, all that.
But from a marketing perspective... see, here's what I don't want to happen: a teen picks up Earth Blood is Easy, likes it, says to self, "I want to read more by this Giselle character" and then BAM is hit with a wall of smut. Earth Blood is Easy is TOTALLY appropriate for teens. There is no explicit content, and I think it would appeal to NA readers of all ages. It's just got that tone.
Should I publish it under a pen name? That's what I'm thinking I should do. Then it's at arm's length and there won't be any underage readers seeking out more of my work because they love this book so much they just can't get enough of me. Because that's super-likely to happen. The book's just that good.
Sorry, that was my Canadian self-effacing-ness speaking. Earth Blood is Easy really is a cute little book. In fact, of all the books I've written (and she's read), it's my girlfriend's favourite. And she's a sci-fi geek, so that says I didn't miss the mark.
What do you think? Publish it under a pen name, even if I don't intent to keep it up or write anything else for that author brand? Or is that a bad idea? Any other authors have experience with this? Any readers want to chime in?
Any good pen names to suggest...?
Thanks! Love you!
Giselle
I'm thinking separate pen name. I have one for one YA book myself because of exactly the reasons you explained (I didn't want a teenager who read my YA to then confront a wall of porn). Now that I've done it once, I actually want to use the pen name more, so there's also that. You could have it as a bit of an open secret pen name, as you've done with a certain sock puppet friend. :) That would give a bit of separation, but not too much. Good luck deciding, whatever you do!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Annabeth. :-)
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