Author names

What's in a name?

Everything when it comes to being an author. Our author names are our brand. It's how people find us, it's what people associate with our voices and our style of story telling. And more importantly, it's how we get recognized and paid. 

Your name should be on everything you do. Take credit for all of your work. Even your smallest little scribblings. Put your name on it. Not only does it help spread your name around so people recognize you but it also helps build your SEO (search engine optimization).

Because our names are so important you also have to make certain you spell it the exact same way every time. 

Now some of you are saying, "Well duh, Jonesy, I know how to spell my name!" But not everyone uses their full name. Thomas Smith might write under Tom Smith. Julie Cumbersnatch might write under J Cumbersnatch, or J. Cumbersnatch. 

Well guess what. Thomas Smith and Tom Smith won't point to the same book. J Cumbersnatch and J. Cumbersnatch look like two different people to algorithms too. 

So before you start your authoring journey, pick a name, and a precise way of writing it, that you will continue to use. You can change it up for different genres, but according to every book store out there, that is two different authors. And that's not a good way to develop a following.