Well, NOW who am I?

By Gayle Carline
-Author of Mysteries, Humor, and ???

Andrew's post last week, about writing the story you want to write resonated with me in a big way. While most of you are reading this, I am in my 200-year-old minivan, heading 400 miles to Sacramento to attend the Western States Horse Expo. I've been invited to be part of their Book Corral and sell my books... but not my mysteries.

I released a new book this week, which I would love to recommend to all of you mystery/thriller readers, except it is not a mystery or a thriller. It's not even strictly humor.

It's my horse's memoir.

Stop laughing. I own two Quarter horses, a mare, Frostie and her son, Snoopy. When Snoopy was three years old, he won an AQHA show championship. (I got a pretty saddle as a prize, that still sits in my bedroom.) When he was four years old, he broke his leg. Two years, a fused joint, metal plate, and six screws later, I was riding him again. Now he's nine and we compete together at AQHA shows.

Although I'm uber-excited about this book, told in Snoopy's voice, about his rise and fall and fight to return to the arena, I'm a smidgeon worried. Up until now, I've been "Gayle Carline, Mystery and Humor Author." Now I'm adding another genre to the mix.

Am I diluting my brand?

Michele Scott is truly savvy about this. Her lighter fare, her cozies and YA books, are all Michele Scott, but her dark thrillers are written as A.K. Alexander. Readers should never get confused and buy Daddy's Home, expecting a Wine Lover's Mystery.

I locked myself in with my real name on my mysteries and my humor books, but when I wrote From the Horse's Mouth, I toyed briefly with the idea of using another name. Technically, the book is written "by Snoopy as told to Gayle Carline." I could have used G.S. Carline, or my maiden name, I suppose.

In the end, I decided to be who I am. No matter what genre I'm writing, my stories have things in common. Lightness, hope, and whimsy, to name a few. I try to group my cover art together so you always recognize a Peri mystery, or a book of my humor essays.

Time will tell if this was a good choice or not. Readers, are you annoyed by an author who can't stick with one genre? And what do I use in my by-line now?

Re-Branding: Without The Sex Club

By L.J. Sellers, author of provocative mysteries & thrillers
I rarely use this forum to talk about my books, but recently I made a decision about my series that involves the broader topics of branding and reader perception.

In this evolving industry, writers must adapt quickly as well as continuously search for new ways to reach new readers. In that mode, I’ve decided to re-brand my Detective Jackson series by listing Secrets to Die For as the primary book and creating a new cover for it.
 
The first book on my Jackson list used to be The Sex Club, a title I've come to believe turns away as many readers as it draws in. The story has served me well, and thousands of readers have loved it. It will always be a favorite, and I'll continue to sell it. When I only had a few books on the market, it was an important part of my work.

But now that I'm about to launch my 10th book, and I'm poised to reach a huge new audience, I've decided I don't want The Sex Club to be the first thing new readers see about me. I don't want to be defined—and possibly rejected—by this title.

I considered simply changing the name, but thousands of people have read it—and loved it—and I'm not willing to annoy my faithful readers who might buy the story again with a new title, not realizing they've already read it. And a new title wouldn’t alter the content, which is equally disturbing to some conservative readers.

So I’m moving The Sex Club into my standalone thriller column. The truth is when I wrote the novel, it was intended to be a standalone with dual protagonists. Then at some point, it occurred to me the detective would make a great series character. When I wrote Secrets to Die For three years later, I based it on the Jackson character, thinking I’d try to make a series of it. So Secrets is really the first book I intended as the start of a series. Of course, readers can begin with either one.

In simple terms, this is a very competitive market with ebooks selling for $.99 and $2.99, and I can’t afford to alienate thousands of potential readers with one little word.

This has been a huge undertaking. I'm not only creating a whole new website, I also had to make a change in my "titles list" and republish each of my ebooks. I've also had to redo my bio everywhere it's posted online! And I'm sure I haven't found them all yet.

But with millions of new people joining the e-reading revolution, I think this move makes sense. What do think of this re-branding decision? Brilliant or cowardly? Worthwhile or waste of time?