My apologies if this has been asked before, I haven't been able to find anything, so here goes. I am currently in the final stages of writing my first children's novel. I have decided to self-publish and will be using a pen name, mainly due to my actual name being something I have had to spell and pronounce all my life. I have also started an adult work of fiction and wondered about using the same pen name. I didn't know whether this would be a good thing or a confusing thing to do. Any comments?
IDK, I would say don't use the same name for different age categories. It could get awkward if a kid sees your pen name on a steamy romance novel, and mommy has to explain why the same lady that wrote cutesy kiddo stuff (no offense just role with it for my sake), also writes books for mommy after daddy left with (insert your favorite euphemism here). So before this derails and all hell breaks out, and I know it is a pain in the ass. Use a different pen name to avoid those awkward moments in bookstores across the globe. I hope this has been helpful, but you ultimately have to decide for yourself what is in your best interests, and that of your readers. All anyone can do is throw you their opinions, so good luck and hope this has been a bit helpful.
You can always pull a Nora Roberts and have two obviously connected but distinct pen names. The advantage of that is that you only have to maintain one website and social media presence. And, I suppose, anyone who liked your books in one category might be interested in checking them out in another category, so you wouldn't lose out on that possibility. This depends on the categories not being totally non-compatible. Like, I'd think children's books and serious adult literature would be fine together, but as said upthread, not children's books and erotica.
Subtle difference? D. David Wittlinger or David Wittlinger or D. D. Wittlinger Just an idea (based on my own pen name and the idea that some day I may venture into a different genre).
