Nuts to these Pen Names

There's this weird thing in romance writing that I just can't figure out.

If you write, say, a contemporary, you are supposed to use one name. Then, if you write a historical, you're supposed to pick a different name. And if you want to then write, say, an erotic romance, you're supposed to pick a third name. And so on.

This is accepted wisdom everywhere I go. Here is a quote from an article by Roxanne St. Claire, from none other than my '06 Novel and Short Story Writer's Market:

The benefit [of using only one name on all your work] is a reduction of marketing costs... The downside, of course, is the possibility of diluting that brand so readers don't know what to expect.

She herself uses the name "Rocki St. Claire" when writing chick lit.

Does this really matter to any reader, anywhere?

If Tom Hanks made a horror film, he wouldn't change his name; he'd keep it. If Green Day made a blues album, they'd still be Green Day. But if a writer tries something different that is still in the romance genre, a reader won't be able to comprehend it?

Tom Hanks has spent 20 years in Hollywood building his name. Why the heck would he call himself anything else at this point? People go to see a Tom Hanks movie because he's in it. If he made a horror film, there would be a possibility that a few people would say: "Gee, Tom Hanks made a horror film. I like him, but I don't like horror. So I'll give this one a pass. I'll go see his next one."

See? Even the movie-going public - not noted for its outstanding intelligence - can grasp this kind of concept without chaos. Why can't people who read books do it?

My theory is that they can. They can. Why this "rule", then? Because marketers think we're stupid?

Could that possibly be?

I hesitate to say it, but I think they think we're stupid.

Too bad. I'm not stupid, and neither are you. If they figured that out, they would figure us out. And maybe some writers would get to build a name properly, the way other artists do. For now, I guess we'll just have to start a band.

Abby