What’s Wrong With The Arranger?

On December 19, 2011   /   alternate names, Amazon   /   11 Comments
Tags: , ,

These last two weeks have been an eye-opener. I did Amazon-sponsored giveaways of The Suicide Effect and The Sex Club, and the response was terrific. Between the two, I gave away more than 55,000 ebooks, and they both have been selling really well since.

So I thought I’d repeat the effort with The Arranger, a book with nearly all 5-star reviews that has never gained any traction. After two days, I’ve only had about 2500 downloads. I can’t even give this book away!

Not everyone likes futuristic thrillers, but right now The Hunger Games is at the top of many bestseller lists, so there is an audience for this genre. And I think the cover is compelling. I’ve come to believe the problem is the name. The Arranger just doesn’t have enough intrigue or power.

So I plan to change it. I had once considered calling it The Gauntlet, and I’m leaning hard in that direction. But if any of you who have read The Arranger have a better title in mind, please let me know. I’ll gladly give you print or ebooks as a reward.

So what do you think? Change the title? And to what?

Update: The consensus seems to be for The Gauntlet Assassin, so I’m posting the new cover. I have one more reader who plans to weigh in soon, and if he gives me something brilliant, I’ll go with it. For now, this is the new cover.

Back to Top

L.J.'s Many Names

On August 12, 2008   /   alternate names, author names, pseudonyms, published names, the writing life   /   5 Comments

It’s serendipitous that Dani tagged me in this meme. I was just thinking about why I have always used my initials as a writer, as opposed to my given name: Linda. When I was young, I heard my father say that men were better writers than women. So from day one as a journalist, I submitted my work under the name L.J. Sellers, so readers could not prejudge my writing based on gender. And as an employee in the work place, there were usually too many other Lindas, so I always said, “Call me L.J.” But if I were to write under pseudonyms, here’s some possibilities.

1. Real name plus my husband’s last name: Linda Hutchison

2. Gangsta name: (first 3 letters of real name plus izzle) Linizzle

3. Detective name: (favorite color/favorite animal) Blue Lemur

4. Soap Opera name: (middle name and street) Jean Lorrane

5. Star Wars name: (first 3 letters last name, first 2 letters first name) Selli

6. Superhero name: (2nd favorite color/favorite drink) Fuchsia D. Pepper

7. Witness Protection name: (parents’ middle names) Patricia Clark

8. Goth name: (black plus the name of one of your pets) Black Magoo

If I were ever to write a romance, Jean Lorrane would be the byline. And someday, when I write the futuristic thriller I have in mind, I think I’ll go with Fuchsia Pepper. She’s somebody I’d like to be some days. What’s your favorite pseudonym?

Back to Top