We authors need to get our names out there. If no one knows
who we are, we’re most probably not going to sell many books. But the process
of becoming “known” to readers is a daunting one, especially for small press
and self-published authors.
When my first Malone mystery was accepted by a publisher, my
mother asked me what pen name I was going to use. “Maybe,” she said, “you
should choose a name that’s easier to pronounce than Gligor. Don’t most
writers do that?”
Our conversation reminded me of an article I once read. It
was an interview with actress, Jacqueline Bisset. When the interviewer told
Jacqueline that he’d heard several variations on how to pronounce her last name
and asked her which was correct, she replied, “Biss-It, like Kiss it.” I think
that answered his question.
So, back to the answer I gave my mother. While I don’t see
anything wrong with using a pseudonym (sometimes a writer has a good reason to
do that), I prefer not to. Why? Because Gligor is my family name and I’m
proud to have it. As far as the pronunciation goes: Gligor rhymes with tiger.
So, when you’re looking for a new (to you) mystery series to
read, I hope you’ll remember my name and check out my books.
