Actually, I'm going to share a dilemma, as I don't think I've done it on my blog yet. We have discussed on Twitter, and even a bit on Facebook.
Sometime before Christmas, my good writing pal Becky Black spotted another Teresa Morgan, self-published on Amazon.
This is NOT me! I repeat NOT me!
My dilemma is, after securing my blog name http://teresa-morgan.blogspot.com/ and a website url (http://www.teresamorgan.co.uk/) - which is still a WIP and why I haven't advertised it too much - do I stick with calling myself Teresa Morgan? It's my real name!
My maiden name is Frewing, and this is on Facebook in brackets, because I've put it in my profile people can search for me under Frewing. (I am now thinking of a way to get this in my blog too, to work in search engines - how do search engines work again?). Unfortunately it won't fit on Twitter in my username - gutted!
I don't have a middle name. I used to think that was really cool as no one could take the mick out of me at school for having some dodgy middle name like... actually I won't say - I could offend. So, do I start putting the word about using a pseudonym? I was always going to use one (not sure what yet) if I got into selling erotica or something like that (not that I've written anything for that genre lol!). But my contemporary romance that I am writing I would have liked under *my* name.
Do I make up a middle initial? It could be a mystery what it stands for... I'm imagining the media now... or do I just use an F for my maiden name?
Teresa F Morgan
Or do I go with Teresa Frewing. No bugger will have it, if they do, then I know they've nicked it from me. Trust me, there is only one Teresa Frewing!
Since being married, and finding I don't have to spell out Morgan everytime I tell someone it, like I did Frewing regularly, I was quite happy to leave my maiden name off. Besides, Becky Black had convinced me Teresa Morgan had a really good romantic novelist ring to it. My best present ever from another friend, funnily enough called Becky, also proved how good it would look on a book cover. (This is a notebook and I love it!)
However, now, with someone using my name (I'm not sure if it's her real name or not) I wonder whether to start creating a new name, a new profile. Or do I stick it out and if I'm lucky and get accepted by a publisher, see what they say?
The annoying thing is this blog and my website are "Teresa Morgan." If you Google/search Teresa Morgan, you'll find me first! (I am rather proud of that). My 'twin' is on twitter but hasn't tweeted anywhere as much as me. Opps - not sure if that's something to be proud of, she's probably writing while I'm bloody tweeting!
So, is there room for two Teresa Morgan's in the romance market? Or should I start marketing myself (in the hope of selling a book) as someone else?
I'm depressed... I need something to cheer me up! Oh, look - Adam Levine. (I have Maroon 5 now in my car - it's great for inspiration - I love his voice).
Teresa why don't you spell your name differently? You could be Theresa Morgan or be a bit more exotic and become Therese Morgan. Either way it keeps your name very similar to the real you. A middle initial could make the difference. JK Rowling invented the K in her name, I gather. However, the changes kind of muck up your domain name and I don't know what you could do about that.
ReplyDeleteAlexandra, yes I could have an H, but I HATE my name with an H lol! I've spent 38 years correcting people not to put an H in! lol! I have wondered about Tess but it's old fashioned, though works for Tess Daley ;-)
DeleteI might add the initial F... or just go with Frewing if push comes to shove. Or I could just be T Morgan... But you can see my dilemma.
My initial instinct is that it's your name, stick with it, especially has you have a blog and website in that name. Does the other Teresa Morgan have a website/blog?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there are lots of authors who have the same name as each other, given how many books and authors there are - there's even an Annalisa B Crawford who writes fan fiction in the US. (I know there's an extra B, but who'd have thought it!)
No, she doesn't have a blog or website that I can find. Only on Amazon and Twitter (which is @TMorganauthor btw).
DeleteI know Morgan is like Smith... I just thought Teresa is very uncommon nowadays. It wasn't hugely popular when I was at school lol! I just wish her Teresa was spelt with an H! lol! (see above comment).
I've done so much to raise my profile, I would like to stick with it. So maybe I will. Trust me, you lot will be the first to know when I'm 'published' :D
You should see on Goodreads, there're three or four of them! One, your nemesis ;-), one the academic author I've spotted before, one writer of a cookbook and one writer of thrillers, who may or may not be the same person as the romantic novelist too. Who can say?
ReplyDeleteIsn't there a Reverend or something?
DeleteMaybe I'll just have to see how it goes. A publisher might advise a name change.
I do like T F Morgan - but does that work on the romance genre? Usually it's the full name given.
You could always be T. F. Morgan and keep the names a mystery, like H.M. Murdock.
ReplyDeletePersonally I would stick with your name as it is. You have a presence with that name and your domain etc.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I might worry about it when I've got that publishing contract and see what they say.
DeleteI've had this problem myself. The first short stories I sold were published under a name that another writer then made successful. Was not happy. But that was a made up name, so I gracefully stepped back. Most of the time, I now go by one of my own two first names with my own surname. But there are an awufl lot of Jones people out there, so no hope of being unique.
ReplyDeleteYes, Morgan is a little bit similar too - it's very popular. Which makes me think I might go with my maiden name. Seriously, if I see someone else with this name - and Teresa - I know they've nicked it from me ;-P
DeleteBut I will leave blog and website as is. As a friend pointed out, I need to be worrying about the writing first and getting published, then what name it's under. But I should maybe send short stories off from now on under Teresa Frewing.
I don't want to hurt your feelings, but Frewing doesn't sound to me like a romance writer. Morgan does, but there are many others you could adopt too if that one's taken. Just make one up that sounds both romantic and authorial. It doesn't HAVE to be connected to you in real life, though it's nice if it can be. But any good agent or editor would tell you not to choose Frewing as a romance pen-name. It would work against you.
DeleteYou're never going to talk to me again now, right? ;-)
Thanks for the advice, Jane. It's best to know now rather than later on. (Damn! Damn! Damn!) I'll still talk to you ;-)
DeleteSo now back to bloomin' drawing board with a pen name then...
DeleteI think I'd stick with your own name for now and see what a publishing contract brings. It's a tough one and I'm sorry I don't have more to offer.
ReplyDeleteYes, actually - probably the best. Could decide on a name, change it all again and a publisher says, we don't like the sound of it. lol!
DeleteI have put an F in my name now... just so that I'm not muddled with The Other Teresa Morgan.
I still can't believe there is another one. Not so much about the Morgan. It's the Teresa. Usually it's spelt with an H, and it was old fashioned even when I was a kid. There weren't that many 'Teresa's'. So I thought I'd be 'safe' with my first name! lol!