One of the reasons writers use pen names is not because of any need for privacy or secrecy, but purely to help readers differentiate between the different types of books they write.

This is a reason close to my own heart, and you’ll soon see why.

I’ve discovered that pen names are an issue occupying a lot of writers’ minds, since my previous Pen Name articles, 3 reasons for using a pen name, and How to choose a pen name continue to generate conversation.

That’s why I thought I’d walk you through the steps I’ve used to decide: Will I use a pen name for different genres? (You’ll have to read to the end to find out my answer! Oh, the suspense.)

There’s a lot of kerfuffle on the net about whether authors need to blog, and people coming down on both sides of the debate.

Just this week, I was thinking about the one big reason why it’s good to blog if we possibly can.

Yes, it’s good to get some writing practice, it’s good to build community, it’s good to have a “marketing hub” for our efforts, but the clincher for me — the thing that’s hard to get any other way — is this one…