Still have thorns? Smell just as sweet? Wilt if you don’t give it the little additive that the florist sends along with the delivery? All of the above?
Hm… I seem to be getting into the nuts and bolts without properly introducing myself. Hi, I’m Barb. Wait… Barbara… Oh, jeez, if you know me from my young adult books, I suppose it would be Caridad. But in Real Life, everyone knows me as Barbara. Or really, more commonly, Barb. And we won’t even get into the surname issue.
I have a friend who calls me the Writer of Many Names. She maybe has a point, unintentional though it may have been. It started, as these things are wont to do, rather simply. My given name is Barbara and most of my life, people have called me Barb. My maiden name is Ferrer. When I began writing and realized that my books were going to prominently feature Latina characters because of that whole, “write what you know” thing, I decided to use my maiden name as my nom de plume since my husband’s very Eastern European surname didn’t exactly lend itself to Latina-based stories. (Sorry, honey!) More importantly, I chose to return to my maiden name for writing to give the rest of my family a measure of privacy. The writing thing? It’s my gig—no point dragging them along if they don’t want to be dragged. So I figured that Barbara Ferrer would make a great name for writing—very true to my roots and representative of what I was writing and totally me.
Or so I thought until I sold.
When I sold my first book two years ago, it was in a genre I never expected to be writing—young adult. (That’s another column right there.) But hey, I’d had what I thought was a great idea and a publisher had been looking for what I brought to the table in terms of the idea and the multicultural approach, and you know, SALE! So I was absolutely thrilled to be a first time author in the young adult genre. Then the “name thing” came up. Yep—apparently, the marketing department felt that “Barbara Ferrer” wasn’t Latina-sounding enough.
‘Scuse me while I blink, even two years later. I mean, seriously? Hadn’t these marketing cats ever heard of, say, The Buena Vista Social Club? Ibrahim Ferrer? Or the Ferrer acting family? I mean, in Cuba, Ferrer is akin to what Johnson is in the United States.
No, that explanation didn’t fly. Apparently, it was the Barbara that was throwing things out of whack. Didn’t have the right… ring. (I’ll make sure to tell Santa Barbara) Didn’t I have something that sounded a little more… “Spanish?” And yes, it had to be something readily identifiable as Spanish. At this point, I was beginning to feel a little queasy. I mean, yes, I’m a very proud first generation Cuban-American—as far as I’m concerned, my family embodies every aspect of the late-twentieth century iteration of the American Dream. But you know, American Dream also means that I’m far more likely to be found wearing Lucky jeans, chowing down on Mega M&Ms, and singing along with the Police (okay, and Alejandro Sanz) as opposed to donning a Carmen Miranda fruit basket hat, shaking my maracas, and calling out a cheery “babalu,” to anyone who passes by.
Queasy or not, though, I was also still a very nervous first-time author trying to do Everything the Right Way. Not make undue waves. Worried that any misstep might result in that elusive contract being snatched away. Yes, I know better now, but at the same time, publishing is a weird, weird business. Stranger things have been known to happen.
Thing is, too, I didn’t know how I was going to write YA. Was it going to be sweet or dark or somewhere in between? What was the overall tone going to be and what age level was I ultimately going to appeal to? I also was working with the knowledge that my adult work—romantic women’s fic that was still out on submission—was definitely on the steamier side. All things considered, I figured that giving them a different name wasn’t really such a bad thing. Hence, Caridad Ferrer was born—or rather—resurrected.. See, it’s my middle name, given to me as an homage to the Patron Saint of Cuba, La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobra. So it is my name, but not really, you know? Anyone who knew me via the various writing loops and sites knew me as Barb and I never made any secret of the fact that it was my preferred form of address. And we won’t even go into the pronunciation issues. It’s like the first day of school all over again, every time someone tries to say Caridad Ferrer out loud. And I feel so bad for them too, because they’re so often embarrassed that they can’t say it quite right.
Two years down the road, too, I wonder if I’d feel quite so ambivalent about it if I hadn’t been made to feel like I had to change my name. I know there are plenty of authors out there who choose to take on pseudonyms because of writing in multiple and radically different genres. Wanting to keep those identities separate. That makes perfect sense to me. But for the reason I was given? To adhere to some image of “The Latina” that some suit in marketing was envisioning? Yeah, I ultimately agreed to it, but at the same time, it never felt quite right.
Anyhow, now that I know how I write YA and that it doesn’t differ radically from my adult material, I feel really good about the change I’m making with respect to my name, mostly because it’s my choice.
Hi, I’m Barbara Caridad Ferrer—Barb for short. It’s great to be here at Romancing the Blog.
No related posts.
Wow. Can not imagine what that must be like, to be required to make your name, your identity, comply with the prejudices of others. Particularly since I’m one of those others.
My first thought was of my grandfather, who was an orphan coming to this country in 1905 had his named changed on Ellis Island to something Americans were comfortable pronouncing. But your experience is the opposite. He was being required by the dominant culture to fit in, you were required to set yourself apart. I suppose in both cases it’s an exercise in racism — or at least prejudice — but still …
It’s like one of those moments in my marriage when I see white culture through my wife’s eyes and go “What are we thinking?”
Welcome to Romancing the Blog. I look forward to reading more of your words.
As another writer who writes under two names, I had some adjustments to make–answering to the new one , deciding which one to put on name tags when I still had new releases under both, etc.
It was a bit unsettling.
Interesting post, though, on how the marketing department influences our careers–
I love your work no matter what name you sign to it.
I’ve always thought I’d use my maiden name WHEN (confidence! woot!) I’m published.
PS. ohhjuliet on LJ
Kimber An, I had to laugh at your explanation.
I, too, am as “white as a bleached sheet”.
I married Chin.
Started out going as Kim Chin online
but everyone then thought I was male.
The high tech hubby’s nickname for me is Kimber
(after Kimber Kable).
Sometimes I shorten it to K ’cause…well…I’m lazy.
Kimberland is my hip hop name (don’t ask).
Yikes…too many handles.
I had the opposite thought. I started writing under a pseudonym, but have since moved onto using my first two initials and my last name. And as someone who has read your YA stuff as well as your adult stuff…and also your blogs, I have to say, whatever you write, you write well and I love reading what you put out there for public consumption.
Interesting post. My problem is the opposite. My books and characters tend to feature Latinos because I married into a Latino family and love my husband’s culture. It’s so rich on so many levels and really speaks to me. However, I never want to misrepresent myself as a Latina, nor do I want to ignore my own “roots”. Who knew choosing a name to put on my (as yet unpublished) books would be so tough?! I make no secret of who I am, but ultimately, I stuck with my married name. It’s who I am now, it’s my children’s name and I want them to see the path of my career and see my name–and theirs–on a book. So, Barb, thanks for a great post!
Hey, Barb. I’ve seen you around on the Cherry writing forum. Anyway, the best story I heard of (as far as pressure to change a name) was Oprah. At some point in her career someone suggested that she change her name to Susan or some form of this name. They told her no one would remember the name Oprah Winfrey. Ha!
So under the circumstances it sucks you had to change your name, but Barbara Ferrer sounds fine to me. And honestly did they really think only Latinos would read your books? Readers are easy to please. Just give us a good book. Honestly!
It’s funny, too, given that the Marias, Joses, and Juans of Latin America seem to have become Karens, Alans, and Davids. I even know a guy in Mexico named after Buzz Aldrin, for goodness sake.
Barbara Ferrer sounds plenty Latina to me…pero quien sabe?
If I remember correctly, agent Kristin Nelson blogged about her client Jennifer O’Connell being asked by the publisher to drop the O’ because they wanted her romance on the shelf near Jennifer Crusie, and when she wrote YA, they youngified her by making her Jenny, so it’s not uncommon for a pub to take liberties with an author’s name.
I suppose you could refuse in that situation, but I’d choose my battles with my publisher carefully.
Then again, I don’t have a particular attachment to my name. In fact, I’d love a secret identity. My main problem is, I’d gravitate toward something along the lines of a Bond villainess, and no one would want to admit reading the latest “Ima Busty” book…
Oy. I’ve a Latina/not sub out and I’ve been afraid of getting pigeonholed with a Latina name. My birth name was Briana de Oliveira. (Gaelic and Portugese, go figure-but it was the only name my parents could agree on that sounded the same when they said it in Enlish and Portugese)
And I like both Barb and Caridad. Go you.
Wow– thanks for the warm welome and responses everyone. I feel so liked in that Sally Field sort of way. (And for those of you who trotted over via my LJ or writing loops, the payment’s in the mail
)
To the Kimbers– Kimber An, I’m giggling like a loon at the “white as a bleached sheet” comment and Kimber Chin, you are forever Kimberland/Timbaaland in my mind now.
Kerry, you’re right, in that you have to choose your battles carefully– while I made it clear I wasn’t nuts about it, in the scheme of things it didn’t seem a battle worth taking on– at that time. Publishing really is a weird industry, where you don’t know what might create a problem and what might not. As an author, you’ve had custody of a project since its inception, it’s been your baby and you’ve had only your vision to answer to, then in the blink of an eye, you’re expected to adhere to what an editor wants, what the copy editor thinks, what marketing and art departments and publicity all see. You go from “captain of my ship” to team player in an instant.
It’s a bit discombobulating, to say the least. It’s good, because you often need those outside, impartial eye, but in the end, you have to remind yourself whose name is on the book. Whatever name that might be.
It’s always interesting when your name has people making assumptions about you, whether it’s your race or your gender or what have you. I grew up in the Bay Area with a group of boys whose last name is “Lee”. Everywhere we go, people expect them to be Chinese. So when 6′+ men with blonde hair show up, the results can sometimes be pretty funny.
Barb! I’m thrilled to see that you have a column here now. I’ve always wondered why you wrote under Caridad Ferrer, and now it all comes clear, though the reasoning of the publisher makes me queasy, too.
Great first column!
Kalen, it is interesting– especially in my case (as in the case of so many other Latins I know) where I don’t “look” the way people expect me to look. I have dark hair, yes, but otherwise, I’m fair-skinned and green-eyed. I could be almost anything, including Hispanic, because we come in every skin tone and eye color and hair texture out there. A few weeks back, in my regular blog, I wrote a post about how I was enjoying Spanish-language entertainment magazines more than their English-language equivalents, mostly because the entertainers showcased showed such tremendous diversity and even more impressive to me, seemed so much more real. It really brought home to me how skewed our perspective of beauty has gotten in this country.
And Kristin! *hugs* Yep– that’s why I wrote under Caridad. It served its purpose but now, it’s time to become Barb again.
Who hasn’t heard of Jose Ferrer? Who doesn’t know the Clooney connection???
I’m on the other side of that coin, however. I couldn’t wait to change my name. Mine is absolutely impossible for Americans to pronounce. It’s also a name that came with a lot of built-in prejudices.
As a professional singer, I changed it, because I wanted people to hear me, and not ask me 50 questions about my racially mixed background. I could get away with an anglo name, because I looked it.
I think it made my career a lot easier. That said, if someone told me I *had* to change it, I probably would have been one ticked sister.
When I started publishing books, I took another name. I now have 3, and honestly, my real name rarely even occurs to me – I don’t think I’ve even SAID my real name more than 5 times in the last 15 years!
Barb–actually, your road helped me figure out what mine was. I wanted a separate name for my YA when they sell. For one thing there’s some strange stuff out there when one Google’s “Gina Black” (and LOTS of shoes, too).
So, I dusted off my middle name (which I did use in the 4th grade when I was tired of being Gina) and voila: Theresa Black–which was available .com and .net. A sign, right?
I’ll use Gina for my adult books (one of which is *very* adult). But they’re all me.
(Hopefully they won’t want my name to be whiter–yes, that’s a very (VERY) bad joke.)
Great post, Barb! I’m afraid I was one of the lucky ones who got to choose her own pen name. Yes, I use one since in RL I teach…for some reason American school boards still get upset when their teachers have lives outside the classroom! Thankfully, because I write under a nom de plume, my own board has treated me professionally. They understand my writing has nothing to do with my teaching…and vice versa, I might add
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Welcome to Romancing the Blog!