: Re: Is it a bad idea to adopt an 'English' pen name as an Asian American writer to reach a wider audience? There is currently a dearth of Asian American writers on U.S. library bookshelves, and

@Carla500

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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.

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