Poll: Would you take an author seriously for this?

[Valkyrie]

Not naming names, but I'm trying to gather statistics from real people, and actual grown adults.

Let's say a fan of a popular boy band wrote a story about a member of that band and it's getting published, and her username is on the front cover of the book? Her username is very juvenile and has to do with that band, and she's 26 years old. Would you take her seriously as an author?

Why, or why not?

My opinion: I personally wouldn't. If you're trying to be majorly noticed, putting your username on the front cover will just make people turn away. Especially if it has to do with your favorite artist, it's embarrassing.

 

[acebatonfan]

I would not. As what you said, having a juvenile username as the author name can draw away potential buyers. I rarely read fanfiction (I assume this book is a fanfiction), and I am more likely to read a piece like that if the author has a more mature title instead of "iluvthisband12345", as I can typically infer that the fanfiction written by "iluvthisband12345" will most likely be written at a juvenile level.

 

[†_Beast_†]

I can only assume when you say the word 'boy band' your referring to backstreet boys or something along those lines, I.E. - whatever is mainstreamed and geared towards elementary kids of the female gender in this example?


Here's my opinion on this as not only a musician whose been in the business but also as an adult:


A. If she were in the age range of 6-12. Then it's something you'd probably laugh off and shake your head with a slight smile
B. Any 26 year old female that still has an obsession with boy bands after all those years, automatically leads you to question their possible maturity level - I don't care who you are. Completely natural for any being to wonder. I suppose it would be like a male who is obsessed with barney and lives in his parents basement at 26...along those lines.
C. I myself, don't read fanfictions.
D. Due to the above reasons, it would be hard to take this person seriously but on the other hand I wouldn't ever care enough to look into it. - Why would anyone read something they dislike or have a problem with anyway? Don't read it. It's as simple as that. When it comes right down to it, it's kinda like this - (Of course this is hypothetical situation) but let's say hmmm 'Brittney Spears' is 14 and singing a music career for mainstream. A 52 year old man is obsessed with her, to the point one might wonder if its unhealthy obsession like a pedophile. That line becomes blurred for some human beings. Another example, those 'twilight moms' during the turn of this century. In their 40's, 50's etc that are obsessive compulsive about a teenage boy child because he bites someone on the big screen and then they desire the same thing; yet none of them even know anything about vampirism or have a clue about any other works of literature in regards to the same subject nor have studied a single aspect of it in general during the past century even.... Beside the point but that's the same thing - a pedophile. When an adult desires a child. Lusts for them. Of course it’s extreme to say someone is being a pedophile in our society but h-e-double hockey sticks sometimes the truth is hard to accept for people when a word has such negative connotations applied to it and for good reason. Obsession for something can be a very bad thing.

 

[Valkyrie]

bump

 

[The_Jedi_Master]

Probably would be less interested in this case, but I'd be far more likely to read a computer security book by Sabu than one written by Hector Xavier Monsegur. (For those who don't know, they are the same person, but he rose to fame as Sabu as part of the hactivist group Lulzsec.)

 

[Mama Umbridge]

Well, first of all, can you honestly take an author seriously for publishing a book that is essentially a fanfiction based off a boy band? Don't get me wrong, fanfic is cool and all, and to each his own, but there is a difference between writing a story borrowing characters and having an adventure... And writing about a real life band... Maybe not much of a difference to some, but to me, there is a large difference.

So already that is one strike against this author.

But continuing onto the main point of this debate, to be perfectly honest, I would not be able to take a childish or nonsensical name upon the cover of a book seriously. Whilst the name may not be nonsensical to yourself because, let's say, your username is "KingdomHeartsFangirl813" because you like Kingdom Hearts, Axel, and Roxas. That would be a silly name to publish on a book. It wouldn't mean anything to someone else, and, let's face it, is showcasing our juvenile side. Now, if you've adopted a name that is like an alias, a pen-name if you will, that's a different story. I publish under such a name to retain a bit of privacy. My pen-name could be easily seen as a real name. Believe me. It's not "Mama Umbridge".

 

[Andrew]

I know what book/author you are talking about and it's a little weird but I guess kind of cool. I actually read the story and it's not too bad, although it's not exactly my cup of tea, I got through it and didn't feel like I needed to stop reading at any point because it was really bad or really boring.