Name brand recognition

Good morning!

Well, it's that time. You know, the time you run into when you wonder if your name is holding you back when people browse the digital bookstore. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like my name. It conveys a sense of intelligence, breeding and good taste. Say it and close your eyes. Derek. Makes you think of some English fellow who can order from a French menu without being forced to ask what something is. Add Murphy to it and you get a vision of a football hooligan, spilling Guinness on your shoes. Or, is he urinating on them while standing in line at the betting parlor?

See what I mean? We all have preconceived conceptions of people because of their names. Someone sees my name on the cover of a book and while the concept may be intriguing, they may be turned off by the name. I considered using my childhood nickname. It's a masculine nickname that goes well with Murphy and conjures up an image of a tough, but cultured man whom people might like to know. Duke. Duke Murphy. I've lived with it among my family members my entire life and happen to like it better than my proper name.

Then there's the name 'The Guys' gave me when I was about twelve years old. Wings. Wings Murphy. It has a rough and tumble kind of ring to it. The kind of name you might expect from someone who writes action novels. In retrospect, I think I should have used Wings as a nom de plume. but when it came time to decide what name to write under, I opted for my proper name. I am who I am and there is no changing it. I believe in truth in advertising and while Wings or Duke may have gone over better with the readers, Derek will always be the name by which I am known.

Although, maybe I could add Wings in parentheses to my covers from now on.

Have a good day, Readers.

Thank you,
Derek A. (Wings) Murphy
Author of Gulf of the Plains, It Happens Every Day and others.
Available on Kindle