Like the Leaves Changed, So Too Did My Author Name. Here's Why.

Dramatic, huh?

If you haven't seen, I've changed from Emily to Morgan. Morgan Dante, to be exact. This is a pseudonym change, not a legal name thing. All my social media accounts are the same, just branded differently. I'll still keep my old author name on my old works.

This has been a long time coming, but I hesitated, worried over how much I'd need to alter or if it'd alienate or confuse anyone. Eventually, I took the plunge, and I'm so happy I did. It wasn't as big a deal as I thought it'd be.

Here's why I'm transitioning to a new author name:

Easier Pronunciation and Spelling

Though I had my reasons for "Deibler," "Deibler" sometimes becomes "Diebler" and gets pronounced "Deebler."

Gender Neutrality

Simply put, I'm genderqueer. I was afraid of going from a more feminine name that I like, and still go by in real life, to a neutral one for my profession.

I've always liked Morgan as a gender neutral name, but I feared judgment because I don't speak too much about my gender identity. ​And when I have, people have rejected my requests for they/them pronoun usuage, which is why I tend to accept "she," though I dislike being called "Ms." and the like.

Even some professionals in my field have misgendered me when I asked them to use they/them, so I worried my author name change would be an inconvenience for others. Around me, many individuals outright deny the existence of binary and nonbinary trans people, whether they're intolerant of LGBT people in general or trans-exclusionary people in the queer community.

It's exhausting.

Now, I feel more at ease with my presentation. I don't hate being called Emily, but it felt odd and burdensome trying to present how I was expected to in my conservative small town within my writing profession.

Especially since my works strive to have nonbinary (and all kinds of queer) rep, unashamed. It's time to be honest while representing my work and experiences.

Tone and Brand

Given my upcoming work, a Hell-related name that's MAF (metal as f&^k) feels more on-brand and punchier. It "feels" right to re-brand to a name that's both gender-neutral and gives off a dark vibe. It feels related more to the genres and topics I write about.

So, there you have it. I plan to have a proper domain for this site soon. I'm grateful for the support and encouragement I've received.