Selling Ebooks Online: Should You Use a Pen Name When You Self-Publish

Feb. 22, 2012 - PRLog -- Megasites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble have revolutionized the self-publishing industry, making it easier than ever for any wannabe author to make money selling ebooks online without ever involving an outside entity like an agent or publisher.

However, many are confronted with a conundrum: should they use their own name, or use a pen name.

Yuwanda Black, a self-published author of over 50 ebooks shared the following insight, saying, “The one piece of advice I’d give to any newbie is to have a long-range plan for your self-publishing career, eg, what niche(s)/genre(s) do you want to write in/on; how many ebooks do you want to publish, for example, in a year; how will you market them; what are your sales projections; etc.”

Following are a couple of more things to keep in mind that can help you decide whether or not to use a pen name if you want to make money selling ebooks online.

Branding: As Ms. Black points out, having a long-range plan as a self-publisher is key to success. If you want to brand yourself (eg, think Stephen King, Alice Walker), then whatever name you use – you want to stay consistent with it.

Genre: Do you want to write in one genre or across several? In this case, you might to have a pen name for one genre and use your real name (or another pen name) for another.

Ms. Black, who has published over 50 ebooks, perhaps put it best -- stating, “Like any other business, writing and selling ebooks online is just that – a business. If you treat it like one from day one – making every decision with a long-range view in mind -- you’ll vastly increase your chance of self-publishing success.”

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Did you know that you can write and ebook, publish it and start getting sales within a week? You can. Learn how at http://inkwelleditorial.com/how-to-write-an-ebook-fast-an.... And, get free articles for reprint – on everything from self publishing to freelance writing to internet marketing – at YuwandaBlack.com.