What’s in a name?

I had no idea that the line “What’s in a name?” was from Shakespeare, but there you are. I wanted to dive into why I picked the moniker “Joseph Apau Writes” today, and it popped into my head. Now I get to feel all fancy and literary.

So, you might be wondering why I picked the title of “Joseph Apau Writes” for all of my branding—website, socials, etc. It might also be pretty obvious. I’m going to explain it anyway.

The first part (and second part):

First of all, my first name is Joseph. Then, you know, the Apau is from the other part of my name. Two-thirds of the question, answered right there.

You may think that’s all a no-brainer. But my writing would be my writing even if you didn’t know I was the one who wrote it. In this case though, I want credit for it (I guess) and so instead of some cool pseudonym like the Phantom or something like that, I went with both my first and last name. It’s deliberate, a tad boring, and probably more effective.

The third part: 

Now, the last word: “Writes”

Why do I explain that Joseph Apau writes in the URL for my website? Why make a title that’s three words instead of just a nice straightforward two! I guess the answer to this is that it just feels write right.

Even if people only read the title, I’ve delivered the main idea. In this context, I want to interact with the wider world as a creator, specifically a fiction writer. Previously, I’ve worked a lot as an editor and writer, as someone behind the scenes. This whole thing (pretend you can see me waving my hand around in the air to demonstrate) is more about my creative writing.

It feels nice to be able to create an identity rooted in all this—and it has a bit more of my personality tied into it as well. At the very least, I’ll get to have a bit of fun. You too, of course. Totally didn’t forget about you, reader.

P.S. Let me know if you think I should have gone with “The Phantom Writes” instead. Or just “The Phantom.” Or a little more dressed up: “The Literary Phantom.” Anything like that.