What's in a name? As a writer I planned my perfect pen name. I chose to use my first and middle names, Mary Marvella, since my married name, Barfield, didn't sound like a good name for a romance author. Overby, my maiden name, didn't work for me, either. I spent years planning and building my brand around that name. Mary Marvella has a nice ring to it, a New York editor told me that years ago. My southern friends like saying the names together. It sounds southern and romantic. I indie published using that name and edit under that name.
Well, times change and now I am with a publisher who publishes erotic romances. That means my readers who find the language of erotic fiction embarrassing shouldn't see my Facebook posts with explicit covers and language. Some of my Facebook "friends" use that language and the covers make even me blush. What could I do? How could I keep my readers and editing clients from being confused or offended. Then it hit me! Mary Marvella was a pen name and I could have another one.
What kind of name would be easy to remember and help my readers who want to cross over to the erotic side find me? I liked the MM thing, so I grabbed the maiden name of my daddy's mama, Mayfield. Her name was Melissa Marvella, so the name M M Mayfield seemed perfect!
Look for me on Facebook as M M Mayfield, author, if you don't mind explicit covers and comments using language I don't usually write. I need my friends who write erotic language to support me and here they can. And my shy editing clients never need to know! They pay me now and I need them.
Look for my cover for Protective Instincts soon!
http://mmmayfieldauthor.wordpress.com/about/
MMMayfield.author@aol.com
Love, Lust, and Southern Comfort
MM, I certainly know what you are going through. I have works coming out from the same publisher and since I have friends who just wouldn't understand, I too have taken a pen name. Look for MJ Flournoy and you'll find me.
MM, I am too absentminded to remember a pen name. :) Good luck to you MM and Scarlet in your new identities.
God luck and many wiggly, tingles Mary.
Thanks, Scarlet/MJ/Melba! We're in this together!
Beth, that was the reason I worked through the possibilities. I resisted adding a FB persona and a new email address! Good thing I keep a notebook! And I email everything to Melba in case I forget!
Thanks, Jo! We need to get together one of these days! We'll need a month to catch up.
I didn't think I would be able to handle a pen name or two, so I just kept my real name. I think readers get confused because the two genres I write are quite different from one another.
Good luck with your new name, MM!
Thanks, Barbara!
Mary, you are looking great. I swear you never age. I like the new pen name and wish MM Mayfield great success. You write great love scenes, so this should be a breeze for you!!
Scarlet, will look forward to MJ's books. Nice pen name.
It doesn't matter what you call yourself. You are a terrific author and nothing else matters. However, I do like your pen name! Sell a million sweetie!
Thanks, Linda! You always make me feel good! The erotica editor didn't add anything to the love scenes!
Thanks, Mary R.! We have a lot of talent here, don't we? Here's hoping we all have great success! My grandma would probably agree, but not with the sexier stuff! I just won't tell her. Shhh.