Daniel Abraham

[DanielAbraham]

You're using three pen names? Isn't it hard to "brand" three names at once?

As an aside, is DA your real name or are all three pen names? Just curious if you started writing fantasy under your given name and then decided to start using pen names after the fact.

The hard part is more in having three separate projects. The names are just an acknowledgment that these are three different things: The space opera doesn't read much like the urban fantasy which isn't much like the epic fantasy. Daniel Abraham books are going to be epic fantasy, James S. A. Corey books are going to be space opera, MLN Hanover books are going to be urban fantasy. You know what to expect in a glance, and setting expectation is (IMHO) what branding is good for.

That said, a lot of different people have different theories about pseudonyms and branding, and it's perfectly possible that none of us are right. :)

(Oh, and Daniel Abraham is the Real Name.)

[Tears of Lys]

But the web presence ups my odds. The convention appearances up my odds. Frankly, hanging out here ups my odds.

And here I thought it was because of Naked Hatted Avatar Week.

:P

[red snow]

Maybe the three of you can collaborate on an epic urban sci-fantasy ;)

I can see how keeping an online presence could be very taxing if you have to do it for all 3 pseudonyms. Then again you could test out your online personas that way by having a friendly one, an egotistical one, and a downright unpleasant one.

Don't some authors try the trick of having their pseudonyms alphabetically similar so that the books may cluster on the shelves (most books are just going to clump all three genres in the sci-fi/fantasy section at the end of the day)? It may be a myth but I heard that's why Steven Erikson chose that name because then it would be nearby the Esslemont books (although in this case they are separate authors writing in the same world).

[MattL86]

I guess I'm in the minority then, cause I go for authors over series. Once I read a book by an author I like, I'm much more prone to give his stuff a shot even if it sounds a bit outside my norm. The MLN Hanover books are something I never even looked at twice until I realized the other day Hanover = Abraham.

[The Evil Hat]

I guess I'm in the minority then, cause I go for authors over series. Once I read a book by an author I like, I'm much more prone to give his stuff a shot even if it sounds a bit outside my norm. The MLN Hanover books are something I never even looked at twice until I realized the other day Hanover = Abraham.

I think most people on a forum like this one share that opinion, but I guess it's more for the casual fans who make up so much of the sales.

[williamjm]

Don't some authors try the trick of having their pseudonyms alphabetically similar so that the books may cluster on the shelves (most books are just going to clump all three genres in the sci-fi/fantasy section at the end of the day)? It may be a myth but I heard that's why Steven Erikson chose that name because then it would be nearby the Esslemont books (although in this case they are separate authors writing in the same world).

I like the way Iain Banks / Iain M. Banks did it, where it is obvious who the author is, but there's still a clear distinction between the M- and non-M- books.

[Lord O' Bones]

I like the way Iain Banks / Iain M. Banks did it, where it is obvious who the author is, but there's still a clear distinction between the M- and non-M- books.

I was just thinking that.

Also, when I simply looked at The Steel Remains I immediately knew that Takeshi Kovacs was not going to be in it. Know what I mean?

Then again, pseudonyms have always confused me. Like, Murtagh in Lethal Weapon was the only guy I could see one benefiting. So don't mind me.

[Jussi]

Here are the covers:

The Dragon's Path

Leviathan Wakes

[Ran]

Not too sure on The Dragon's Path's cover. Would have been better without that oh-so-fantasy sword. Do the weapons in TDP really look so non-functional?

Leviathan Wakes is terrific, though. Very old school.

[DanielAbraham]

Not too sure on The Dragon's Path's cover. Would have been better without that oh-so-fantasy sword. Do the weapons in TDP really look so non-functional?

For reasons that don't bear mentioning, I was looking at a bunch of old Red Sonja comic art a couple days ago. Functionality is not always the first priority of epic fantasy. ;)

Leviathan Wakes is terrific, though. Very old school.

Yeah. And look, it says "kickass space opera" right there over the title. I think that sets the right expectations, don't you?

"Why Martha! What is the nature of this book?"

"From the cover, Wilfred, I believe it may be a kickass space opera."

"Ah yes. So it is."

[Lord O' Bones]

Pseudonyms still confuse me in principle.

Apologies.

[Ran]

True, true. I like the hilt well enough, but that depiction of the blade just oversells it for me. But, hey, I don't buy books to rub the covers all over myself these days.

That is, indeed, a terrific quote to use.

[DanielAbraham]

Pseudonyms still confuse me in principle.

Apologies.

They're a contentious issue. A lot of folks take a different approach from mine. There probably isn't a single right answer so much as different menus of advantages and disadvantages for each viewpoint.

[red snow]

Also, when I simply looked at The Steel Remains I immediately knew that Takeshi Kovacs was not going to be in it. Know what I mean?

So you haven't read some of the conspiracies on the Steel remains thread then? I get your point though.

As for the covers: I'll take a non-functional sword over a generic barbarian/ninja-chick any day , although funnily enough it reminded me a lot of "the steel remains" paperback cover.

Leviathan wakes looks incredibly old school, which is good. Hopefully people wont pick it up expecting a sci-fi version of teenage kids without powers fighting crime in outer space though ;)

[Werthead]

Leviathan Wakes puts me in mind of the old Del Rey Robotech books, being old-school SF fun.

The Dragon's Path, unfortunately, looks a little too much like dozens of other books on the shelves and doesn't stand out. Aside from having the quality name on the cover, of course ;)

[The Evil Hat]

Am I the only one that actually likes the Dragon's Path cover? It's more traditional and less jaw dropping than Abraham's prior ones, but I was expecting that, and the background gives it a character that The Steel Remain's similar sword-pose cover totally lacked.

[beniowa]

As I said in the cover art thread, the two new covers seem a little generic to me, but on the whole they're not bad at all. I suppose it would be hard to match the quality set by the Quartet covers. I suspect the new ones will grow me. ;)

[aidan]

@The Evil Hat – I like it, too. Like you, I appreciate the art they've used in the background.

[RedEyedGhost]

There's much better discussion here than the cover art thread, so I'll bring my post over here to

I couldn't agree more.

Although I did like Brandon Sanderson's rationale for switching artists/styles for different series that he posted on the board a few years back - he said that they change it up to try and attract different buyers and get them possibly try an author that they may have over looked in the past. So, if a decidedly more generic fantasy cover will get more people reading Daniel's work, then I'm all for it :thumbsup:

@The Evil Hat – I like it, too. Like you, I appreciate the art they've used in the background.

I like the background detail as well. It seems to say that there's a little something more going on here than your standard epic fantasy, and is a very nice touch.

[Nearly Headless Ned]

Leviathan Wakes is a lovely cover. Screams old school!

Not a fan of the sword on The Dragons Path,I know that 'generic' cover's will attract plenty of readers. I can see the rationale, but they might also put people off who are wary of the swords an sorcery genre. Generic covers suggest generic books and we know that Daniel's books are anything but.

I had the same problem with the uk omnibus editions of The Long Price Quartet (I'm about 80 pages from the end and enjoying it immensely!). It screamed all action scenario's,constant warfare,deadly duels between uber hard warriors and possibly some ninja's. What we got was a lovely and melancholy tale about growing old and trying to live with the consequences of the choices we make.