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Publishing in the UK with a foreign name
Hi All,
I've just started working on my first novel and I have a good few months until getting to a publisher but I have a question in my head that doesn't let me rest.
I'm Hungarian and I live in the UK. My name doesn't sound British at all, you wouldn't even guess what kind of name it is. I have the impression that British people prefer British things as opposed to anything foreign.
Do you think publishing my novel with an English pen name, instead of my real name, would possible increase my sales?
Thanks for the advice.
Balazs
Comments
Very few writers are lucky enough to get their first novel published, and if you were in this fortunate situation, I'm sure the publisher would tell you if they thought you needed a pen name because your own is difficult to pronounce- for example.
Good luck with the writing.
I think it depends on what you're writing. If it's a book about British people set in Britain then a British looking name might be best. On the other hand it it's set in Hungary a Hungarian name would work well. Very literary works, Sci-fi or fantasy might be helped by a 'foreign' looking name too.
Also depends on what your name actually is. Balazs wouldn't worry me at all as I could have a stab at saying that, but a long name with few vowels would be more daunting.
But as Carol says I would advise you to get in written first, find a publisher and worry about the rest later. Good luck!
It doesn't seem to have harmed the sales of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Chinua Achebe, Isabel Allende, Mary Balogh, Jorge Luis Borges, Meg Cabot, Paulo Coelho and I could go on and on...
Good points made in all the comments, some of which I didn't even think of.
I would actually prefer using my own name, especially because I indeed plan to set up a blog and write short stories as well, whilst I'm working on the novel. Perhaps I would just use my name as B. Tudlik instead of Balazs Tudlik. That seems a bit easier.
Thanks
I'm done with the plot and working on the characters now. I have a day job which holds me back quite a bit but I still enjoy the process.