My name is Debbie Clarke, but because I think that's really unmemorable, I would like to be published as Debbie Ash-Clarke. This is only a small deviation from my real name, and incorporates the "ash" from the village of my birth, "Cold Ash".

I am about to submit covering letters, synopses and chapters for one-to-one appointments with editors, agents and authors at Winchester Writers' Conference. I am only beginning my second draft and have requested the one-to-ones for practise, to motivate me to get on with it all (and it has, so far, been extremely motivating), and because it's included in the price!

So I'm not exactly expecting to be snapped up (I imagine that's extremely rare), but I do want to try to get most things right, of course.

So, on which documents should I put my real name, and on which documents should I put my pen name? I do emphasise that my pen name is just a variation on my real name, so different from having a completely unrelated pen name.

I have booked the conf as Debbie Clarke but want to put Debbie Ash-Clarke on all the materials I am submitting. Is that wrong, do you think?

Also, for people who have been to such one-to-ones before, are they really expecting to behave like a writing tutor and just give you some feedback, or are they going to be scary and act as if you have approached them through normal channels, in which case of course they would expect that you have already completely finished and polished your novel?

Eeeek!

Thanks for any comments.

Deb

I write SF/Fantasy under the name T. D. Edge. If I'm submitting a short story, I follow the norm which is to put 'Terry Edge' at the top of the contact details in the top left hand corner of the first page of the MS, and 'T.D. Edge' under the title of the story in the centre. In cover letters, I just sign off as 'Terry Edge'. When I submitted a novel recently, I did the same thing: left the pen name to the MS proper and signed the cover letter as 'Terry Edge'. It's fairly normal for authors to do this; just make sure the actual story/MS has your pen name on.

As for one-to-ones, I'd approach them exactly as if I was trying to sell my book, i.e. put together a sales document, including one sentence summary of book (and tag line perhaps), blurb, marketing points, synopsis, etc. I'd also prepare a one-minute elevator pitch in case the editor/agent asked me to start with that. And if you can do it, well, you're scoring big points right from the start.

Terry

Ah, thank you very much, Terry! That was my natural instinct, so very pleased it's an acceptable method. Much aprpeciated.

Deb

interesting one, this, Debbie - I use a pen name to sub short stories to women's mags because it's such a different market than the children's one, so I want to keep the two personas separate. And your question - and Terry's response - has been helpful, so thanks for posting.

Incidentally, for those of you who use a pen name completely different from your real name, how did you choose it?

Hi there.
Helen Black is my pen name. To be honest if I'm subbing or applying for anyhting I just say XXX writing as Helen Black.
HB x

Good idea, Helen. Maybe I'll add that. Fab - thanks!!!

Deb