Transparent Tuesdays

Issue 212

You guys,

Charlie Bleecker is coming out of the closet. 

I’ve been writing under a pseudonym for four years and now I’m writing a book. The book will be written by me, Charlie Bleecker, but I will be making a formal introduction to my friends and family. All the people in my life who knew nothing about Charlie will suddenly have access to everything. 

The working title for my memoir is Becoming Charlie (h/t Michael Dean for coming up with it). The book is about the journey towards my authentic self, my journey to become a writer, my journey to become Charlie. 

How can I truly become my authentic self if I keep Charlie a secret from my loved ones?

I have no idea when I will publish my book. I plan to have a first draft by the end of this year. But the actual book? Maybe in two years, five years, ten years? I don’t know. What I do know is that shortly before the book gets published I will tell my friends and family. 

People always ask me about what it’s like to write under a pseudonym. I don’t often write about it because writing about writing is not nearly as fun as writing about a one-night stand or getting fired from my job. I’m not even going to tell you how long it’s taken me to write this post.

But I do have thoughts about it. So if you’re curious about writing under a pseudonym then today’s podcast episode is for you. 

I talk about how to make the decision whether or not to write under a pseudonym and how to grow your audience from scratch. And if you’re wondering if you can start writing under a pseudonym and keep your current audience I’m gonna tell you right now the answer is no.

If I didn’t address all your questions in the episode, leave a comment and I’ll be happy to share anything I’ve learned over the past four years of absolute freedom, fun, and much-improved writing (just to name a few of the benefits).

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Until next week,

Charlie