A lot has changed since the nineteenth century, when women like Mary Ann Evans (aka George Eliot) and the Brontë sisters published under pen names. Or has it?
The recent revelation that “James Chartrand” of Men with Pens is actually a women has the blogosphere abuzz with questions. In her Copyblogger confessional, the blogger formerly known as James Chartrand says she chose to apply for writing gigs with a male name, because she had a higher rate of success with prospective clients. J.K. Rowling employed a similar tactic, but her choice of name was a bit more vague.
Now, I’ve been pretty darn successful using my real name, but it makes me wonder if I would have achieved even higher levels of success under another name/gender. I’m guessing not, because while “James” conducts business exclusively through email (ostensibly for productivity’s sake, but probably also to conceal her real identity), I can’t. I’d like to, but many of my clients insist on phone calls to nail down details and many of my articles require phone interviews so I can capture voice inflection and other attributes of my subjects. Plus, while “James” blogs with a bit of a macho swagger (very convincing, I might add), my sassy writing style is part of my own appeal.
But getting back to the bigger picture, I don’t fault “James” for doing what she felt she needed to do to support herself and her children. It saddens me to think that she felt the sting of gender discrimination so strongly that she needed to deceive her clients and readers. And it reminds me that when you’re reading a blog, even one where the writer seems friendly, collegial, and thoroughly honest, you just never know who that person really is. Not that she’s the first blogger to do this, but maintaining an alter ego like that must have been challenging at times (both logistically and emotionally). On the other hand, it gives me even more respect for “James,” because she’s clearly a very talented and versatile writer.
What do you think? Would you be more successful if clients thought you were man? Would it be worth the struggle to conceal your identify? Men, what do you think of all this?
I've never had a problem getting and keeping clients and getting paid excellent rates, and I've never hidden the fact that I'm female. (I'm a freelance editor, not a writer.) But I also have never gone around apologizing for my expertise, either overtly or tacitly, as I see far too many women do. Sometimes I wish that I could meet with female freelancers who act that way and who don't negotiate for better rates, stare them down, and tell them to own their talent and quit making excuses for it. Grrr!
Actually, at least according to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling#Name), J.K. Rowling originally did publish under Joanne Rowling but her publishers asked her to change it. It is sad that the publishers, who know the ins and outs of what sells, thought it would sell better if it wasn't immediately apparent she was female.
I'm both unsurprised and appalled that people prejudge each other based on sex. I'm unsurprised because nearly all selection and decision-making takes place in the right brain, despite our self-flattering belief that we make decisions rationally; and some prejudices run deep. I'm appalled because we really ought to be able to overrule those right-brain prejudices with left-brain rationality. We just don't do that very often. None of us humans do.
That said, this blade cuts both directions. I've responded to posts calling for editors for books and often been blocked from bidding on the job because as a man I just wouldn't understand or wouldn't be sufficiently sensitive to the female author's point of view. (I don't mind losing a job to another editor once I've discussed the job and quoted a price; my point is that I'm often told I wouldn't be right for the job before that discussion even begins.)
So until we (all of us) are willing to examine our own prejudices and act to overcome them, this sort of friction will remain with us and continue to hamper social progress.
@Katharine: I know what you mean! I hate seeing other women undermine themselves, whether they are in publishing or another industry.
@Caitlin: Thanks for clarifying! I think it someone wants to use initials to make their gender ambiguous, that's one thing. But using a male name requires a bit more legwork to keep up the persona.
@Dick: Thanks for weighing in! There are a lot of women-centered writing networks, websites, etc. so I agree that it goes both ways and there are times when being male might actually work against a writer.
I haven't experienced it so much in the writing world although now it's definitely on my mind.
However, during my time at a major corporation that stresses equality and diversity I found time and again the door was shut on me on my female colleagues. Many less worthy and downright destructive men were promoted over incredibly talented women. Sad but true.
I have found rates to be standard as a freelancer, but I have made less than my male counterparts in equal positions when I've had full-time editorial jobs, and it was female bosses who felt compelled to pay the men more. Go figure!
I too was paid less than men were when I was an employee of publishing houses. (This was in the late 1980s and early 1990s.) And whenever I found that to be the case, I went to my supervisor and demanded—and got—a raise.
I've been thinking about this ever since I read James' piece in Copyblogger. When I worked for companies, I eventually learned that –in every single instance–my male colleagues with the same level of experience and talent were paid more than I was. When a union confronted the execs of the newspaper I worked for about this, I got a swift raise. When I found out about it during my next two jobs, it sickened me, so I just applied for work elsewhere. Each time, when I left, my bosses would tell me how much they valued me and how saddened they were that I was leaving. I thought, "If you valued me so much, why didn't you pay me fairly?"
As a freelancer, I thought I was able to level that playing field–finally. My salary has soared since I left corp. America, so I still think I'm mostly right about that. But I do think there must be an inherent bias that causes men and women to think that men offer more value to any job. It would not surprise to me learn, for instance, that male freelancers generally got higher per word rates than female freelancers for the same magazine. It also would not surprise me if an editor who practiced such discrimination was not even aware she or he was practicing it.
Susan, as I think about this, I wonder if it can be solved by adopting a more confident attitude. I know the times I've marched in front of clients and defended my rates, I've done so knowing full well I'm worth what I'm asking for. I've gotten the rate or damn close to it, too. But there have been times I've been preached to (by men) about how the "writing world" works, and what I should be content with.
I have had troubles at times getting clients to understand why I charge what I do. Despite the extensive resume in their industry and the following of a number of readrrs, I'm still explaining years later why my articles get read and why I'm better for the job because of what I know.
It's like when I was passed over for promotion at work. I know the dude they hired was not recommended (they gave me an editing test in the HR office, on the very desk where his application sat with a big note "Not recommended – do not hire."). First, they gave me an editing test. Me. I'd been there, as an editor, for three years. Bastards. But they hired the guy and I was expected to clean things up. There was one case in particular – a 16-word headline – and graphics wanted me to fix it. I said, "No, send it back as is. I didn't make the mistake, and I'm not a secretary."
He stood at my doorway once going on about how he was going to change the way things were done there. I was tempted to say "Then start by learning how to do it right before you try." But I let him "educate" me because at that point, I already knew I was on the chopping block. The boys did not include me in anything and yes, they treated me like the secretary.
thing I haven't seen written any where else is that certain races and ethnicities get farther than others. I don't think people take this into account enough.
Eric, writer Thursday Bram (a woman) mentioned in her blog post on the Chartrand controversy the discrimination faced by writers with names not of European origin.
Not that I want to do this, but I am curious how this writer cashed checks with a man's name on them? Didn't she have a hard time at the bank?
@Anonymous: I wondered that, too. I suspect she must have had checks written out to her business name (Men with Pens) and deposited them to a business account. "James" is in Canada, so it's possible that there are different ways of doing this that I'm not aware of.
How sad is that? We know there is discrimination but knowing that someone so talented had to deceive everyone to get places is disturbing. I agree with Katerine that some women need to stand up for themselves more – I hate it when women start speeches or introductions with 'now this is just a little something..' or words to that effect!
I've always wondered whether my Chinese surname deters any clients from hiring me for freelance writing work, assuming that I have English as a second language. I was born and raised in Vancouver, for the record. Would I be more successful as a Michael Smith or a Michael Turner? I'm not sure.