Only a con-artist should have several aliases. I find myself with Three Names on Amazon, which makes my Author Page unworkable.
Here's why - let me go back to 1956, when my legal name was entered into the birth register as Mary (a hangover from British Colonial days no doubt) and my parents decided I should be 'Máire' (Mara) the Gaeilge for Mary.
So - I move to the USA in 1995, and Mary is on all my personal papers.
I published my first book in the 2012, under the name 'Máire Flannery' because I identify as Máire, to use a modern phrase.
But Máire causes all kinds of problems in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland. It becomes Marie. Or - people understandably pronounce it 'Mare'. Which I do not like. I don't identify as a Mare! People also pronouce it Maury, like the TV personality Maury Povich. Not to keen on that either. Also it's a bother to enter the accent every time I write it, like now.
Back to Mary I went.
My next book was under Mary T Flannery.
My next, evidently forgetting the above, was Mary Flannery.
So when setting up my Author Page on Amazon, I enter the name Mary Flannery, only ONE book shows up.
So I have to decide on one version of my name and stick with that!
I used to dream of a Pen Name but that's too troublesome when filling out Tax Forms etc. Not that my income from writing brings me in anything...it's a hobby.
There is another writer named Mary Flannery, and then there's Mary Flannery O'Connor, the famous Southern writer, who I should admire (everybody tells me) but her stories only depress me.
I thought fleetingly of changing my name by deed poll to Mary Mara Flannery. It has a nice ring to it, and nobody can mispronounce it! It's not worth the trouble. And putting that on book covers would take up too much space, believe me, this is relevant.
I have to go back and alter my author name on the cover of 'Melody in Tea'. A good thing I'm handy with Photoshop. Then there's the bother of uploading all the new versions, getting them approved and going live.
This self-publishing process is very involved, but it's very stimulating!
Here's why - let me go back to 1956, when my legal name was entered into the birth register as Mary (a hangover from British Colonial days no doubt) and my parents decided I should be 'Máire' (Mara) the Gaeilge for Mary.
So - I move to the USA in 1995, and Mary is on all my personal papers.
I published my first book in the 2012, under the name 'Máire Flannery' because I identify as Máire, to use a modern phrase.
But Máire causes all kinds of problems in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland. It becomes Marie. Or - people understandably pronounce it 'Mare'. Which I do not like. I don't identify as a Mare! People also pronouce it Maury, like the TV personality Maury Povich. Not to keen on that either. Also it's a bother to enter the accent every time I write it, like now.
Back to Mary I went.
My next book was under Mary T Flannery.
My next, evidently forgetting the above, was Mary Flannery.
So when setting up my Author Page on Amazon, I enter the name Mary Flannery, only ONE book shows up.
So I have to decide on one version of my name and stick with that!
I used to dream of a Pen Name but that's too troublesome when filling out Tax Forms etc. Not that my income from writing brings me in anything...it's a hobby.
There is another writer named Mary Flannery, and then there's Mary Flannery O'Connor, the famous Southern writer, who I should admire (everybody tells me) but her stories only depress me.
I thought fleetingly of changing my name by deed poll to Mary Mara Flannery. It has a nice ring to it, and nobody can mispronounce it! It's not worth the trouble. And putting that on book covers would take up too much space, believe me, this is relevant.
I have to go back and alter my author name on the cover of 'Melody in Tea'. A good thing I'm handy with Photoshop. Then there's the bother of uploading all the new versions, getting them approved and going live.
This self-publishing process is very involved, but it's very stimulating!
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