Romance Writers & Readers discussion

Hey romance writers. I need your help! My stories are pretty well raunchy, and 'Rowena' is a much different person than the woman behind her. I've noticed that some friends in the real world are becoming friends with 'Rowena,' despite my never having sought them out. What is happening???? Does anyone have any tips for making sure their mom (or equivalent) never finds out about their alter ego, while still marketing effectively?

Miss Rowena!

*waves happily*

First things first, hello and welcome!! Hmm. It might be a location thing that's having raunchy-author-you pop up on FB for your regular-human-you friends. I'm pretty easy to find. Of course, I don't care so there's that haha!

You could also become a fan of 'Rowena', blend into the crowd as your actual self, and see what your real life buddies really think of your writing...

*sneaky smirk*

(Just FYI, also moved thread outta our Love Indie Romance folder to other "serious" stuff)

Sorry, Annie, I have to disagree!! (I'm sorry...I'll make it up to you by agreeing with something else later...)

I have a personal profile and an author profile on FB and the only way I've found to completely separate them is to Completely Separate them. Don't be friends with your alter ego. Don't re-post your alter ego's stuff. Don't comment on your alter ego's stuff.

The point of your author brand is to get readers to connect with you as the writer. Unless your existing friends are readers of what you are writing, you need to try to target a brand new audience on social media for your books.

If your friends (Or your mum) are liking your author profile and they shouldn't be, you can block them :-). Or, you might be able to discover their secret reading pleasures, and use that for future blackmail >:-)

Now, the only problem with all this is you have to work on both profiles at different times. I can only be on both of my profiles if I have one open on my iPad and the other open on my computer! If you try to open both on the one machine, it'll open up multiple windows, but then it throws all kinds of hysterics and refuses to post.

Hope that helps a little bit...

Bree wrote: "Sorry, Annie, I have to disagree!! (I'm sorry...I'll make it up to you by agreeing with something else later...)

I have a personal profile and an author profile on FB and the only way I've found t..."

I'll agree with Bree. I have a Facebook account under an assumed name and an author page with my real name, and I take care to make sure not to cross-pollinate them. Sure, most of my friends and family know that I write and know what I write, but I'd like to be able to have a private life as it concerns strangers. Anyone who'd like to do the same needs to erect similar walls.

Funny story: When I first started writing romance it was for a charity anthology. The editor asked me if I wanted to use a pseudonym and I said no, I'll own my words. It led to the following conversation:

Her: "I dunno, are you sure you want the whole world knowing you write mushy stuff?"

Me: "I like mushy stuff. I suspect its why I'm not single."

Her: -has a gigglefit-

Hmm. That's interesting, Miss Bree. I reckon lots of folks would agree with you, actually.

I guess I'm a bit of an open book, slight pun intended *smirks* Besides, I'd be worried someone would ask me if I've read my own book and I'd have to lie *GASP* haha! But, seriously, since I don't care much (read: at all) about anonymity, I'm gonna say you're probably right ^_~

So, um, Facebook has a real names only policy. (What? Are you saying you didn't read the terms of service? :) So have two pages but be aware They might make you prove your identity. You can also have a fan page and not a personal page for your author and link to your real page as an admin. No one sees that connection. But then you can't join groups or something? It's annoying.

My question to you is how did they find "Rowena" without you telling them? Just curious, because that stuck out to me. I don't necessarily keep my stuff separate, (and I actually let my mom read my stuff, although she does skim the sex scenes hahaha), But I do have a separate FB account, one is private for my friends and family, and one is an Author profile. I have posted things about my books to my friends and family though, so I guess I'm not really any help here. lol. Sorry... Bree had some great suggestions!

Ah, yes, Miss Abby!

*fist bumps*

I went through a bunch of red tape to use my pen on FB...

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Fun ^_~

@Queen Amanda: I think you have a personal profile and author page if I'm not mistaken...?

I think Miss Rowena is using two separate accounts altogether if I'm also not mistaken...? LOL

Amanda wrote: "My question to you is how did they find "Rowena" without you telling them? Just curious, because that stuck out to me. I don't necessarily keep my stuff separate, (and I actually let my mom read my..."

Amanda, this is exactly my question. More specifically, it's how these people in the real world have found me on Goodreads. I have two accounts: my author account and my reader account. I have never reached out from one account to the other, yet somehow several people from my 'real world' account have randomly shown up in Rowena's friend feed. I don't think I'm even friends with myself, so I'm very curious about this.

I wish I could be more out in the open. It's kind of silly that I'm not, because I'm in my late thirties and I'm still afraid of people in my life reading my stuff. I always imagine myself making it big and going on a talk show, and then my mother subsequently having a heart attack. This is doubly strange because I'm such a line-crosser with the people currently in my life! (Actually...this is is kind of a good story, right? A romance writer who becomes famous but has to hide it from her family?)

Annie wrote: "@Queen Amanda: I think you have a personal profile and author page if I'm not mistaken...?

I think Miss Rowena is using two separate accounts altogether if I'm also not mistaken...? LOL"

Actually, I made two separate accounts. One is my personal account and the other is my author account where I made an author page.

Annie wrote: "Ah, yes, Miss Abby!

*fist bumps*

I went through a bunch of red tape to use my pen on FB...

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Fun ^_~"

This KILLS me because how on earth did your pen name flag FB, but ROWENA STARFIRE didn't? Is my pen name somehow realistic?

I'm totally no help on this topic because I chose to not worry at all about keeping my author and personal lives seperate on Facebook or anywhere else. I suppose because I only joined Facebook to do authory stuff, so I don't care if people connect my personal and author pages, all I post on either is book stuff, baking stuff, doggie stuff, and other stuff like that, so yeah I totally don't worry about the privacy stuff, I would never post anything on any social media whether it was directly linked to me or not (and I use my real name on my books and on all social media) that I wouldn't want people to know, anything that is too personal stays with me and anyone I choose to share it with

ikr???

LOL

I think Arcane was the issue. Cuz the surname doesn't exist period. But I'm seen some weird stuff get approved too haha! I've also seen profiles get deleted suddenly and without warning so it's kinda sorta weird...

*sighs*

Rowena wrote: "Amanda wrote: "My question to you is how did they find "Rowena" without you telling them? Just curious, because that stuck out to me. I don't necessarily keep my stuff separate, (and I actually let..."

Yay, I love when story ideas come out of nowhere. lol. And I'm not sure how they are finding you. If you had to set up your accounts with your real name (even though it's under your author name) maybe that's how. Or they're psychic? lol. Just kidding. I actually have no idea. I never heard of Goodreads until I became an author. I'd be surprised if my friends new about it.

And just to clarify, when they found the author you, did they reach out to you saying, "hey, I didn't know you wrote this kind of stuff?" or do they like it and have no clue it's you?

@Amanda, no, there has been no actual conversation. I just see their names pop up "So and So has added you as a friend!" and then I turn real red and instantly delete them. The thing is, I can't imagine most of these people being interested in Sci Fi Erotica, so I feel like they have only found Rowena through me. Somehow.

Yes, perhaps they are psychic. :)

Rowena wrote: "@Amanda, no, there has been no actual conversation. I just see their names pop up "So and So has added you as a friend!" and then I turn real red and instantly delete them. The thing is, I can't im..."

Yeah, that's strange. I'm liking the psychic idea more and more. lol. I wish I could be more helpful, but I'm really not sure.

Rowena wrote: "@Amanda, no, there has been no actual conversation. I just see their names pop up "So and So has added you as a friend!" and then I turn real red and instantly delete them. The thing is, I can't im..."

What email or telephone number did you create your pseudo FB account with? That could be how thy are finding you: you are popping up on their contact lists or their lists of "who to add".

Alexis wrote: "Rowena wrote: "@Amanda, no, there has been no actual conversation. I just see their names pop up "So and So has added you as a friend!" and then I turn real red and instantly delete them. The thing..."

I think since I have both Goodreads accounts connected to FB, that was the issue. I unfriended myself, so we'll see if that works!

That being said, I currently have no friends on Goodreads, so if anyone wants to add me, please do! (Caveat: my genre is erotica rather than romance, so my writing is pretty spicy.)

Hmmm...it's tricky. You have to become a little schizophrenic. I find myself talking about TL in the 3rd person sometimes. It's weird!

My close friends know who my author me is. I had hoped they'd hek spread the word (most of them don't)

My pseudo is more of a smoke screen.
My books are raunchy, and I don't want to pollute the minds of my step children. Eek!

But mostly it's because I don't want to be famous should my books ever sky rocket.
I write because I love it.
I want readers to enjoy my books without trying to label any part of them as autobiohraphical; they're not.
It's a mask I can wear to hide my blushes.

Online; yes, keep accounts separate.
Don't cross polinate.
Author you has to make new friends online (with readers & writers).

Good luck xx