“T” DM’d me this question –
What do you do if your narrating pseudonym has “taken off” with more work than your primary name? Don’t get me wrong, the checks are just as good, but I’d like to get the work under my own name as well.
I reached out to ERIN SPENCER, founder of One Night Stand Studios, audiobook workshop instructor and narrator herself (+450 books), CURT BONNEM, instructor for our Audiobook Foundations Class and CASEY HOLLOWAY, instructor for our NEW Audiobook Performance Class starting in September, for their advice.
Before we jump into their answers, in case anyone needs clarity, here’s the definition of an audiobook pseudonym.
AUDIOBOOK PSEUDONYM:
Name other than your legal name used to protect your privacy/brand (frequently used in the romance genre).
>>>After their responses, I’ll share tips on the why and how in choosing pseudonyms.>>>
Erin’s response:
This reminds me of when actors feel pigeon-holed in certain kinds of roles. Do they accept that maybe that’s who they are and celebrate the fact that they have work? Or do they push against it?
I encourage them to take pride in their romance work. If it’s taken off then they are one of the lucky few that are working regularly!
If they want to advance their own name in non-romance then make sure to send check-in emails to publishers and producers and let them know what you are up to. Omit romance work in that email. Instead, let them know what genres you are interested in and how they may cast you along with an Audible link to your ‘real name’ titles.
Casey’s response:
If you want to boost your primary name, what genres are you separating with your pseudonym? Reach out to producers you’ve worked with and let them know other genres you are interested in using your primary name for…
If your pseudonym has taken off, you’ve clearly done something very right. Use those skills—consistency, branding, networking, and performance quality—and apply them with intention to your primary name.
If you don’t mind people knowing it’s you, consider merging over time. You could start taking some pseudonym work under your real name (if allowed by producer), update public-facing profiles to clarify that you narrate under both names, make a clear statement or soft launch (e.g. “Also narrating as ” or “You may know me as…”)
I personally have a pseudonym for romance content, and everything else is my real name. So I guess I have just worked to establish both.
Curt’s response:
Even without a pseudonym, you have to make sure producers know what genres you want to work in. Looking at my Audible profile, you’d assume I was a romance narrator because that’s the majority of the work I’ve done. Producers latched on to me for that genre and I’ve had to make sure they know what else I do and want to do. The books I’ve gotten the most acclaim/awards/nominations for have been thrillers and that’s what I like to do the most. But I’ve had to push to get my publishers to think of me for them because they just default to sending me romance (which is my least favorite.) It’s finally changing, and I’m getting more thriller work.
Funny enough, one of my favorites that I’m currently recording Book 21 for is a gritty, dark serial killer/detective thriller series . However, the two main detectives are also lovers, so it’s listed under Romance.
Thanks so much, Erin, Casey and Curt!!
If you’re interested in AUDIOBOOK NARRATION, check these out –
Foundation to Audiobook Narration with Curt Bonnem
Performance Technique in Audiobook Narration with Casey Holloway
Audiobook Demos with Erin Spencer (coming soon, TBD)
PSEUDONYM GUIDE
WHY?
Why would you possibly want a pseudonym?
- Privacy (to separate audiobook content from other genres)
- Branding (to create a name that fits with certain genres, e.g. romance versus thriller)
- Union or Name conflicts (if someone already has your name)
HOW
Choose a name that fits your brand.
- What genre will you be voicing?
- What kind of voice or persona does the name evoke?
TIPS: Make sure it’s easy to spell and search + not too common. Check to see if someone is already using it as a narrator, if there’s a domain name and social media handle for it.
