Rick Homan
  • Home
  • Books
    • Dark Mural
    • Dark Exhibit
    • Dark Picasso
  • Blog
  • Bio
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Books
    • Dark Mural
    • Dark Exhibit
    • Dark Picasso
  • Blog
  • Bio
  • Contact

R. L. Homan?

6/10/2018

2 Comments

 
Picture
As I prepare to publish the first of my murder mysteries in the fall, I have to wonder: will readers be attracted to a book about a woman who solves crimes if it's written by a man? 

Lots of writers use initials for lots of reasons, one of them being to de-emphasize the sex of the author.
For instance, G. M. Malliett, a woman, writes a series about Max Tudor, a man. E. J. Copperman, a man, writes three series in which the sleuth is a woman.  

To get a sense of what's going on in the marketplace for the kind of book I write, I went to the website for Malice Domestic, a conference for fans and writers, devoted to the "traditional mystery," a form typified by the novels of Agatha Christie. By making a list I found that about equal numbers of women and men use initials instead of a first name. Some of their sleuths are the opposite sex, some are the same. So there does not appear to be a standard practice for this. 

My sleuth is an art historian named Nicole Tang Noonan. Will potential readers be less attracted to a series of books about her if they are written by "Rick Homan?" Would a reader be more likely to give them a try if they are by "R. L. Homan?" 

Suggestions welcome!
2 Comments
Taryn Edwards link
6/13/2018 01:17:58 pm

I think you should use your real name, or a pen name with the gender that matches your identity. Will you be using a picture? I hope you say yes!

Reply
Rick Homan
6/13/2018 09:50:55 pm

Thanks, Taryn! Real name is probably the way to go. Picture? Definitely.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    The Craft of Crime

    by
    ​Rick Homan

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Art
    Author Agatha Christie
    Author Jim Thompson
    Author P. Highsmith
    Author Stephen King
    Movies
    Nicole's World
    Noir
    Publishing
    Reading
    San Francisco
    Writing

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    July 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

Proudly powered by Weebly