I’ve got to confess, I’m a bit surprised and maybe even a little freaked out. In the past week, I’ve had two different people (who have never met, by the way), who first asked me how my book publishing is going and then said, “I really want to read your book so I can get in your head”. Is it just me or is there something just a little bit spooky (and un-nerving, not to mention just plain weird).
I honestly didn’t realize that I was so darn fascinating.
It makes me understand why some authors decides to use pseudonyms. I mean, who wants to let the world see what really makes them tick? In some (many?) cases, a writer could honestly expect to have people start walking around them while watching them from the corner of their eyes. Case in point, Edger Allan Poe.
Reading his work, you’ve just got to wonder if he was completely there. So what about me? What message am I sending? Am I revealing too much of myself? Should I publish under a different name? All good questions. I just don’t know if I have a good answer.
So rather than answering the question, let me approach it from a different angle. Have I put any effort into my writing? Am I proud of the result of my writing? Do I actually want to be recognized as a writer? The answer to each is, yes. So why wouldn’t I use my own name? Am I afraid of too much fame?
Hmmm… I think that would be “NO!” But, I somehow don’t believe it would ever be a problem. After all, while I would like to be as successful as JK Rowling, that’s not really my ultimate goal (and not terribly realistic even if it was). Instead, I would like to be able to make a comfortable living with my writing and maybe gain recognition as a leader in my field. Not really the stuff of “Fame” per se.
If that’s not your cup of tea, that’s OK. Everyone has different goals and desires. That absolutely extends to how much they want to make themselves public. If you’re not really interested in publishing under you’re given name, that’s perfectly fine. After all, it’s your life… and your career.
So what do I say to those people who “Want to get in my head”? I say, that I’m looking for a publisher. Sorry, but until the book is in print, you will just have to wait. And then I say, ”I’ll be happy to sign your copy after you buy the book”. You want into my head? That’s OK. You can get there for the low price of a book.
And maybe they’ll see something worth coming back for in the sequel.
