When someone says your name for the first time, how often is it mispronounced? Even with a name as obvious as mine, well over half the time it comes back to me as “Colter” or “Cutler.”
But some folks have it made. Their names are easy to pronounce. Nora Roberts. Julia Quinn. Jane Porter.
And this is no trivial matter.
For anyone with a word-of-mouth career (e.g., authors, real estate agents, hairdressers, etc.), if people can’t pronounce your name, then they’ll be less ready to evangelize you to their friends. Because they will not have confidence that they are pronouncing your name correctly, they will be less likely to say, “I loved—insert name here! You should try her.” No one wants to be wrong or sound stupid. It’s hard to be convincing in your adoration if you can’t pronounce the object of your affection.
So, what do you do if your name is Geri Krotow and Red Garnier.
“Krotow” is a field of pronunciation landmines. “Tow” like a tow truck? Or “ow” like like a stubbed toe, “Ow!”? And is the first syllable “crah” or “crow”? As I said to Geri in an email: “I am still not sure and you said it for me once.”
And Garnier? Does it end with an “er”? Or is the French “gar-nee-ay”?
For Geri and Red, we opted for a phonetic pronunciation guide tucked neatly on the bio page, clear and big. We thought about the home page, but decided that if someone was taken enough to recommend her, they would have certainly read the bio.
I am not suggesting you change your name for publishing or for business. You have your reasons. More power to you for wanting to work under your own name. But, but if there’s an uphill climb in the making, make it easy for people to say your name.
What’s your name?
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Emily, I don’t know what I’d do without you. People would still be puzzling over how to pronounce my name if you hadn’t made that awesome suggestion.
Red, it has been our pleasure. Cant wait for your new book to come out!
Sometimes, however, nothing helps. I do concerts at schools across the country, singing for kids (K-4) and their teachers. Now wouldn’t you think that primary grades teachers, the ones who teach reading, would never mispronounce “POBBA”? I mean, we’re taught in phonics that a doubled consonant makes the preceding vowel short. WILL is not pronounced WHILE. And there is a clear distinction between PINNED and PINED.
But fully 50% of the time, I get introduced as “POE-bah,” not “PAH-bah.”
No wonder, Johnny (pronounced “JOANIE”) can’t read.
Well said, Pah-Bah!
Emily, you and Wax Creative ROCK! For the first time in three generations of Krotow’s, the name is being pronounced correctly (at least by anyone who visits my website). Interestingly enough, it’s my first name that causes the issues here in Moscow (and Europe for the most part). “Geri” gets pronounced as “Gary” or “Garg.” Have no idea why the “Jerry” pronounciation is so tough, except that it’s traditionally a masculine name.
I’m blessed to have found Wax Creative.
Geri, you are so sweet! We love working with you, too. (Did everyone see the last time I blogged about Geri? When she gave her book to the President?! I know, seriously!)
http://waxcreative.com/blog/2009/07/michelle-obama/
Emily, I love how you make everything so user friendly for the author’s fan (and the author!) All professionals and entrepreneurs who wants to create better connections with their fans, prospects and clients would do well to provide a pronunciation guide of their names on their site..
Thanks Beth! We just want to make it easy for people to do that word-of-mouth thing.