Freedom! (And other things)

On By Emerald BarnesIn Writing Tips

First, I have to thank all of my new followers for joining me.  Welcome.  I hope you find something that will validate you for following me!  🙂

Okay… now, into the actual news part of this broadcast! 

I have finally finished the third draft of my novel, Knight’s Academy.  YAY!  It’s in the hands of my beta readers now, and I’m waiting on them to get back to me with their findings.  I’m crossing my fingers and toes and eyes that they like this one!  I love it.  I really do.  So, I’m hoping that came across in my writing!

But, I’m still nervous.  I always have this fear that people will hate my writing, and since this is something COMPLETELY NEW for me, it’s doubly scary! 

But, there’s nothing else I can do but wait and pray and hope that they don’t completely despise it.  And in the mean time I will finally get to write again!

I have missed writing.  Oh, editing is “great” and all, but writing – there’s nothing like it!  I have had this new novel in works for 6 years!  That’s right.  6 years!  And I’m on the 6th draft of it!  I’m liking it a lot more too.  I might even say LOVING it more.  Does that sound conceited about my own writing?  Oh well, I do love it.  🙂

There’s something else I’d like to say.  As I have already announced, I will be publishing Knight’s Academy and the other two books of the trilogy under the name Nicki Collins because of the HUGE genre jump.  I’m a Christian author who writes suspense novels.  This is a YA Fantasy full of vampires and werewolves.  People will know that I am indeed Nicki Collins, BUT a lot of authors have discussed how I should probably just publish it under my name. 

I’m a little apprehensive about that because I don’t want to mislead my readers.  What is your opinion about publishing something under a different name but letting others know you wrote it too? 

I could really use some help with this.  I’m so confused!!

8 thoughts on “Freedom! (And other things)”

  1. Hi Emerald,
    Congrats on approaching the finishing line with Knight’s Academy.
    Writing under a different name is something I’ve considered in the past, but I feel it’s difficult to create a platform for one name, never mind two, so I stuck with my own name.

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  2. Congratulations on getting the book out to the beta readers!

    This isn’t an area of expertise for me, but I would think the main reason to use different names is if the books have different audiences — probaly different ages. If I wrote a book for younger readers, I wouldn’t want them to stumble into my books for grownups. I guess this would apply even more if someone was going to write “adult”-type fare.

    Other than that, I’m not sure I see the point. A lot of writers write in different genres under the same name. But you’re welcome to be a Collins if you want to. 🙂

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  3. Hmmm. I feel like these genres aren’t quite so far apart, but I realize the vampire/werewolf thing is a little troubling for some, and for some people may conflict with the Christian thing.

    I have a couple pen names, and right now two of them are linked. I have one shared Facebook page for both, which is probably not ideal for readers, but it simplifies things for me, and that’s important too. 🙂

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    1. See, that’s the problem I’m having. People will know I wrote it, but if people who don’t follow my blog, etc happen across my name, I don’t want them thinking that it’s like my others. But, who knows what I’ll do. lol

      I’ve noticed that you’ve linked two on your FB page. I thought that was rather handy. 🙂

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      1. Dalya Moon

        I think there are pros and cons to linking. I released my Tony book with zero push behind it, and it did great on its own, considering. When I linked and announced, there was very little extra push. So, I don’t think linking them helps sales all that much, but it does make it easier on me to just maintain one site and on FB. I am planning to do more under the other name, and it may grow and become the “dominant” personality some day (heehee it sounds like a mental illness, doesn’t it?) but I’ll just take it one day at a time.

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