Constant Content

I want out of my confusion of how to market myself while hiding behind a pen name.

I started with a pen name so I could keep content writing separate from other work I do. I randomly chose Joy Calderwood, but didn't know enough to Google the name first. Drat! Once I did I saw there is another person with that name, and what does she do? She's a writer!!! Double drat.

But I'd already published & sold articles under that name so changed it to Joy R. Calderwood to differentiate and kept writing under it.

I want to use social media to promote my articles, but it's been tricky to do that and not give away my pen name. So I've given it away, which kind of defeats some of the original purpose. I set up a Linkedin and Facebook page under the pen name but didn't do much with it.

Now I am thinking of changing the pen name. (I don't want people to think I'm that older-looking woman I've seen online or be confused with her.) But more than that, I want to use social media to promote sales. Yet I also have a life coaching practice with self-coaching writing I'm developing to sell, and I'll want to promote that separately.

1. Is there any problem to keep my existing account here under Joy R. Calderwood and then to start with a second pen name?
2. Have any of you figured out a good way to promote yourself under your pen name. I know it can get crazy having multiple identities to keep track of with social media. (Right now I can't remember how to log into my Joy R. Calderwood Facebook page.)

Thanks for your input.

I had a similar thing happen to me. The girl looks totally differrent from me and writes totally different subject matter. I found it was easy to brand myself with my real-life image, but edited the image a bit so its not glaringly like me. I kept my pen name as my brand and now have a blog, linked-in, a facebook page, twitter, and much more. (all automated with what work I post online and autogenerated socail links). I have most of this social stuff branded with my edited image and my logo. I also carry the same theme from my blog to all other social media which will support background or main images. (the "logo" is lavender orchids with scroll font writing of my name). Just because you have the same or similar name as someone else doesnt mean you will not do the same again. Find your voice, brand yourself, set your self apart from the other person with your writing style and logo banding. Go have fun!

I kinda have the opposite problem. I wrote for a company who didn't like my pink hair, so they decided to pull someone else's pic as my own and now there is a not-so-attractive and fashionable faux pas lady who shows up for me and the company name.

My pink hair is so much cooler.

Also, a little on the devlish side, but using her name could also turn out to be a positive thing if she has a good reputation. I know, that's horrible, but just pointing out that the mistake could possibly be not all that bad.

Haha, Lysis, you know what I did when my former boss didn't like my violet hair, the spikes on my wristbands, and my awesome grey&purple checkered dress? I made a point of wearing it -along with tons of black eyeshadow and purple or black lipstick- EVERY SINGLE TIME I knew he'd be around!!! Of course I knew he wouldn't fire me because of my killer sales rates (I was working at a shoestore), so it was my way of saying "deal with it".

I use a pen name too, although it's pretty close to my real one. I didn't even bother to check it first because, let's face it, I come from a country where babies are named after their grandparents on a regular basis, so we have hordes of people with the same name. So, unless my "alter ego" is a convicted fellon or an adult film star, I think I'll be just fine!

Lysis and exuberant pink hair makes perfect sense, but I though MNicol was a kindly and wise but rather conservative man in early middle age.....

Oh my!!!!

This thread has reached an unprecidented level of awesomeness at Constant Content.

Haha! Welcome to the twilight zone, my dear fellows!

For the record, I'm not a dude. Or conservative. Or middle-aged!

Who said you were?

I am not a dude, middle aged, nor do i have any political party nor agenda.. LOL..

ReneeF wrote:Who said you were?

I am not a dude, middle aged, nor do i have any political party nor agenda.. LOL..

I was just making fun (in a well-meaning way) of Isabelnewth's slightly mistaken impression of me.

AH, things are never as they seem. Life is messy, complicated, and sometimes boring..just like the people in it... get over it and go live.. LOL

(wisdom and sarcasm in one go, hey look at that!)

For some reason, I find it comforting to know that some of my CC colleagues have pink hair and spiked wristbands. I always wondered how out of place my long hair and tattoos made me here.

i always wondered how my bright red hair and shaved in the back with long bangs made me fit in here as a writer too, and a mom...

One of the joys of being a writer is that you can be who you really are. I am probably as old as 3 of you added together I have silver hair and nature provides it for free, but when I was young - a very long time ago - I did my hair green for St. Patrick's Day in the 1950s and once purple for an important football game. I tried flame red and orange. Creative people never fear to be themselves and enjoy life. When I started writing, there were no computers and certainly no Internet. We did, however, have plenty of hair color and creativity. My parents used to take a deep breath and let me grow into life my own way. Your children will do the same. When you feel free to create your own life, it will show in your writing (outside of content writing). So from an old writer to all you young writers... ENJOY life and allow others to do the same!

mnicol22 wrote:Haha, Lysis, you know what I did when my former boss didn't like my violet hair, the spikes on my wristbands, and my awesome grey&purple checkered dress? I made a point of wearing it -along with tons of black eyeshadow and purple or black lipstick- EVERY SINGLE TIME I knew he'd be around!!! Of course I knew he wouldn't fire me because of my killer sales rates (I was working at a shoestore), so it was my way of saying "deal with it".

I use a pen name too, although it's pretty close to my real one. I didn't even bother to check it first because, let's face it, I come from a country where babies are named after their grandparents on a regular basis, so we have hordes of people with the same name. So, unless my "alter ego" is a convicted fellon or an adult film star, I think I'll be just fine!

Rock on, my friend.

Funny thing is I've had pink hair for 2.5 years. It's fun. I love it. I get angry stares from haters and whistles from men sometimes. Regardless, it's fun. I thought maybe it would affect finding a job in the real world, but IT is forgiving and I've never had any issues. I've had 3 jobs since I've had it. Never a problem and I actually think it's been a good thing in the job market.

Never in a million years did I think it would affect anonymous web writing! More people take this authorship thing way too seriously, and then I find myself sending them a pink haired pic and warning them first. The company that swapped out my pic said they didn't like my older pic I sent them with regular hair. Said it was too far away and didn't show my face. All I had was pink haired pics and it was a problem. haha

Pink hair definitely defines my personality too, so I find if people don't like the hair, they are reeeeally not gonna like my personality. lol