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Q&A Is it a bad idea to adopt an 'English' pen name as an Asian American writer to reach a wider audience?

I think right now some publishers are looking for diversity, especially small presses. Li Ang Chang might get a little farther than Susan Brown, and probably quite a bit farther than Joe Brown. I...

posted 8y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-13T12:00:43Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/26743
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T06:07:25Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/26743
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T06:07:25Z (almost 5 years ago)
I think right now some publishers are looking for diversity, especially small presses. _Li Ang Chang_ might get a little farther than _Susan Brown,_ and probably quite a bit farther than _Joe Brown._

I also think you have a good point about being a positive representation of an Asian writer, particularly if you _aren't_ writing about Asian culture. Make the point that you don't have to be stuck in a cultural ghetto — your nationality shouldn't define what you write about.

From a reader's perspective, I'm going to look at a cover and a blurb first. The writer's name will only register insofar as I will check to see if it's someone I already know. If it's a good story, the writer's race/nationality/gender/age/orientation etc. is irrelevant to me.

@ggiaquin makes an excellent point about making sure whatever name you use is pronounceable and readable. If you feel like you might need to tweak your name to be a little easier to remember, that's fair enough. But I wouldn't erase your heritage. Bank on it.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-02-15T18:23:48Z (almost 8 years ago)
Original score: 19