• Café Life is the Colony's main hangout, watering hole and meeting point.

    This is a place where you'll meet and make writing friends, and indulge in stratospherically-elevated wit or barometrically low humour.

    Some Colonists pop in religiously every day before or after work. Others we see here less regularly, but all are equally welcome. Two important grounds rules…

    • Don't give offence
    • Don't take offence

    We now allow political discussion, but strongly suggest it takes place in the Steam Room, which is a private sub-forum within Café Life. It’s only accessible to Full Members.

    You can dismiss this notice by clicking the "x" box

Is this name taken?

  • Thread starter Thread starter David Steele
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Prompted by this I did a search and the closest to my name is "Karen Gray Ruelle" and she is a children's author...fair enough
 
No. One of them is new age self help and the other is something to do with football. But I really don't want to share Goodreads space.
 
Karen Gray said:
Lol
Well the guy that wrote the Darren Shan books is "Darren Shan" I think it works well ;)

I would probably use my kids middle names if I was using a pen name, Rose Thomas. If I ever finish the Saga of Thistles and Roses I will do some kids storys, I may use Sophie's nickname (Soapy Bubbles) Just for kicks :p
Click to expand...
Or Michael Scarn, from The Office.
 
DSS = Department of Social Security, not an attractive connection....
 
In reality, unless you are writing in the same genre, a name clash isn't usually an issue. No one worries about Brian Cox and Brian Cox (okay, perhaps the actor doesn't write much).

I don't have an author clash problem, but rather an arts supplier, which always manages to beat me to the top of Google:

BCgoogle.jpg
 
Showboating arts and crafts supplier...

I don't seem to show up in thirty-two pages of Jason Byrne. It's all this guy:
JasonByrne4.jpg
 
Brian Clegg said:
In reality, unless you are writing in the same genre, a name clash isn't usually an issue. No one worries about Brian Cox and Brian Cox (okay, perhaps the actor doesn't write much).
Click to expand...

Yes this is my understanding too.

I have registered 3 trademarks and found that if you want a name protected as a brand the best assurance is this way.
 
Brian Clegg said:
In reality, unless you are writing in the same genre, a name clash isn't usually an issue. No one worries about Brian Cox and Brian Cox (okay, perhaps the actor doesn't write much).

I don't have an author clash problem, but rather an arts supplier, which always manages to beat me to the top of Google:
Click to expand...
Okay, i know one's an actor, i think another is the guy from AC/DC, but isn't there a science guy called Brian Cox as well? Am I seeing too many Cox? :eek:

Just realised this morning, the guy from AC/DC is Brian Johnson, my apologies everyone, guess i went cox happy, or cox blind? Either or, the puns wont stop. I tried but it's too hard!
 
Last edited:
Emurelda said:
@Tara Rose that I would class as 'passing off'. I'm sure you have a case. But again it's costs and time. Although a stern standard solicitor style letter may be enough to frighten them off.
Click to expand...

It's been so long now I don't even want to acknowledge her. She hasn't published an erotic romance for about six months from what I can find, and has less than half a dozen of them out there as it is. I have 44 under Tara Rose now. LOL!! I think readers can see the difference in us. ;)

Someone directed me to her Amazon profile a while back. She's apparently trying her hand at writing children's books now, and she's chosen a pen name that is all over Google once again. I think this chick makes a habit of this. One day she'll piss off the wrong writer and find herself on the bad end of a lawsuit. Whether it's won or not, you still have to go through the hassle of answering it and spending money on attorney's fees, but she chose this path. She has to live with the consequences of it.

One karma-esque incident did happen about a year and a half ago when I had a one-star Goodreads troll all over me. He didn't realize that the other Tara Rose's books weren't mine, and one-starred all hers too under his many fake profiles. She actually sent me a PM via FB! LOL!! She complained about it and asked me to intervene. I was like what the heck do you expect ME to do? Complain to GR, not to me! I'm the one having to report this idiot troll to GR, and eventually I did get him and his multiple fake profiles banned from GR. But as to the other Tara, you're the one who stole my name, dumbass! LOL!!! You take the good with the bad, honey! You wanted the name, you got it!! :D
 
This thread reminded me..I think i am going to go for a pen name after all. Not sure what yet. Any suggestions? Am steering towards MC name. This has been done before so glad it's not new.
 
Mimicry is common in the animal kingdom, with non-poisonous species imitating the colouring and movements of dangerous venomous species. There's quite a few authors who carry the names of famous writers from history, including Dickens, Shakespeare, Tolkien and Tolstoy—some of them descendants. I'm being mischievous, but I dare say that choosing the pen name of Rowling would increase your sales....

Sometimes there's an unintentional copycat effect that benefits a writer. Some of you may recall the recent story about A. J. Waines' Girl On A Train being mistaken for Paula Hawkins' The Girl On A Train, which was already a big hit from having been made into a popular thriller movie. This mistake helped Waines' book top several bestseller lists:

http://www.mhpbooks.com/readers-who...he-train-make-girl-on-a-train-a-surprise-hit/

girlonatrain-320x245.jpg
 
People are sentimental creatures. Once you are familiar with a book/film/actor ...essentially a brand then it's hard to get unfamiliar with it. The tactic you illustrated @Paul Whybrow plays on this psychology.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Café Life Tag Cloud

agent author authors book books cafe calls for submissions competition conferences contests creative writing editing fantasy fear fiction genre greetings huddle inspiration life literature litopia motivation new new member novel novels november philosophy poetry publishing reading romance science fiction self-publishing short stories short story stories story submissions time vanity winners words world writer writers writing writing contests zodiac

Similar threads

Still Waters
Help Please! Advice on Using a Pen Name
Replies
22
Views
344
Sedayne
Sedayne
From Our Blog
Blog Post: Titles: What’s in a Name?
Replies
17
Views
515
Hannah F
Hannah F
Back
Top