Writing Wednesday - What's In A Name?

So this might seem very silly. Or even very egotistical. 

With doubling down on my intentions of finishing my book this year and self-publishing it (and hopefully selling more than 6 copies), I have been thinking about what name I want to publish under.

You see, I really don't think I want 'Judy Hudgins' on the book cover. Mainly because, when they first see it, most people don't pronounce it correctly. Plus it's my 'married' name and I'm divorced (and the lawyer failed to put the name change back to my maiden name in the paperwork). Whatever.

Which is a bit strange, as I don't mind using 'J.L. Hudgins' on my photography and artwork. 

Plus you would be surprised how many 'Judy Hudgins' are out there. Not as authors, but just living nearby.

Lots of authors write under pen names. In fact, it is even recommended if you plant write in different genres to have a pen name. Look at the following list of just some writers you know and have read and their pen names.

• Stephen King               Richard Bachman
• J. K. Rowling                Robert Galbraith 
• Agatha Christie             Mary Westmacott
• Charles Dodgson           Lewis Carroll
• Jayne Ann Krentz          Amanda Quick
• Chloe Wofford               Toni Morrison
• Nora Roberts                 J. D Robb

And that's just the tiniest tip of the iceberg of pen names.

Ok, I'm not comparing myself to these writers (yet), but still, if you don't really like your name, what do you do?

My birth name is 'Judith Leigh Randolph'. 

And although I have always gone by 'Judy', I really love my middle name and how it's spelled.

But it seems like such a mouthful either way. It doesn't seem to 'flow' for me.

So I have toyed with the idea of a different last name.

But I think this version is my favorite - 

I don't know. 

Yet.

I'll figure it out. 

But if you ever think your name is unique, think again. There are a lot of you out there.