Multiple Pennames

​Alright, since I seem to be called out on this topic, let’s clarify a few things.
 
Back in the day (three years ago and counting), I asked people to keep Honor Raconteur and AJ Sherwood separate. I did so for a variety of reasons, branding being one of them, but also because when I did try to introduce an LGBTQA+ pairing into Raconteur books, I got considerable backlash for it. I created AJ Sherwood so I could write M/M books since I couldn’t do it under Raconteur. I did keep them separate for safety reasons, too. I’m from a highly conservative family, I knew they wouldn’t approve, that was part of it. Why force myself out of the closet before I was ready? Also, I didn’t want to take risks with Raconteur. It wasn’t just my income on the line, but also all of my employees. I didn’t want to say anything until Sherwood was making enough income to handle the backlash if something happened with Raconteur.
 
I really did not see the issue, to be honest, because this is branding. This is marketing. I was just writing different genres under different pen names, as many authors do, what’s the issue? But apparently people see this as ‘catering’ or whatever. It’s sucking up to homophobes. It was not. It was safety, first and foremost. And now, it’s safe enough for me to say something, because Sherwood’s income is steady enough. I can support myself and my employees while writing what I love to write, which is all I really wanted.
 
I am now making a full announcement in the Honor Raconteur Portal on Facebook and in my newsletter of exactly what I’m doing. What pen names I have, what genres they’ll be, all of it. I’m sure I’ll get grief over this too but whatever. I’m done worrying about what people say. My motto going forward is F*ck it. If someone has an issue, it’s their issue. I refuse to make it mine.
 
Here's a link to the post: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1846648088804187/permalink/2743697299099257/