Should you write under your own name, or a pen name?
Pen names, pseudonyms and nom de plumes have been around for a long time. George Eliot was really Mary Ann Evans. How many of us have heard of Eric Blair? — but George Orwell might be more familiar. And more recently, even Nora Roberts and Stephen King have published some books under different names.
There are lots of reasons for using a pen name, but in today’s world it seems to boil down to three main categories:
- To protect the author’s real identity.
- To separate the author’s books into different types.
- To overcome limitations of the author’s real name.
Thanks to Cassandra Gaisford for suggesting this topic. It’s complex, but fascinating!
Let’s go through those three reasons.
Reason 1: To protect the author’s real identity
Some authors have used a false name for life-or-death reasons, because they live under oppressive regimes, or have dangerous things to say about powerful people.
For some, it’s been a matter of privacy. They don’t want weirdos looking them up in the phone book, or workmates teasing them.
Some might work for a government department or other organisation which does not allow its employees to publish under their own names, because of the conflict of interests it may cause.
Or perhaps they are a schoolteacher writing on adult themes, and they don’t want any clash between these two areas of their lives.
Things to think about:
- I’d be wary of trusting a pen name to protect you from any real danger, today. In the internet age, it’s so easy to find out so much about people, without even trying. Someone who is REALLY trying will probably be able to track you down.
- Also, it’s never a good idea to think a pen name can protect you from the consequences of things you know you really shouldn’t be saying, such as libellous lies or direct and unwarranted attacks on other people.
Reason 2: To separate the author’s books into different types
Romance author Nora Roberts writes erotic thrillers as JD Robb. Horror and fantasy novelist Kim Wilkins uses the name Kimberley Freeman for women’s fiction. Some authors also separate their novels from their non-fiction by changing names.
I’ve thought about doing this myself. I’ve been writing biblical meditations for years, and now I’m writing a humorous dog memoir and a wilderness thriller. What a clash of concepts! ๐ In some ways it seems sensible to separate these different writing types into different author names, and I thought seriously about it some years ago.
But so far, I haven’t done it. Why not? It’s so much work maintaining one author profile, that I don’t want to do it for two or three! And it’s less complicated for me just to be myself.
Things to think about:
- If you have two separate names to write under, think carefully about the extra work you are letting yourself in for. Two Twitter profiles, two Facebook pages, two Google+ profiles, two websites… do you want to do all that?
- How well do you think you will handle having to switch identities between the two writing names? Will it come easily to you, or will it just give you a headache?
- Once upon a time, publishers tended not to allow their authors to write in conflicting genres and styles. They wanted them to maintain a consistent “author brand”. If you have an agent, they may insist on this. Such a policy means that any other types of writing have to appear under a different name, so they don’t confuse the brand. But some are now finding that the policy is relaxing a little, and authors are being given more freedom to explore all the different types of things they long to write.
- In the self-publishing section of the industry, lots of people are writing in varied styles under the one name — and getting away with it. Audiences seem to be increasingly flexible in coping with such mischief. Let’s face it, sometimes the person who loved your book on building a better rabbit hutch also happens to like cozy mysteries, and will buy your tale of murder because they enjoy your authorial voice! ๐
Reason 3. To overcome the limitations of the author’s real name
Some people just don’t like their real name. Or their publisher doesn’t!
Some names are hard to spell — a real disadvantage in our age of online bookselling. So the author shortens it, simplifies the spelling, or chooses something completely different.
Patricia O’Brien’s fifth novel was considered a flop, which made publishers too cautious to buy the sixth one, The Dressmaker. Her agent shopped it under the pseudonym Kate Alcott, found a publisher in three days, and it became a bestseller. She used a pen name to escape the negative associations caused by her unpopular novel. โMy book wasnโt getting a fair chance,” she said. “And choosing a pen name gave it a fair chance.โ
And some writers — usually women, but not always — decide not to flag their gender. JK (Jo) Rowling famously used her own and her grandmother’s initials, because her publisher thought that boys might not want to read a book written by a woman. Whether PD James chose her pen name to be discreet about her gender or not, it has certainly worked that way, so that many people assume the grand dame of British crime is male. She used her maiden name and initials. Would Phyllis White have been such a successful crime writer? We’ll never know!
Self-publishing guru Joanna Penn chose to use her initials to publish her thrillers as JF Penn, to avoid gender stereotyping, and caused some animated discussion on her blog when she announced the move. “I donโt want any consideration of my gender to come up when someone reads my books,” she said. “I want them to have a great fun read and escape the world for a time. So if changing my name to initials stops any second thoughts, then itโs worth it.”
Sometimes the gender thing works in reverse, too. The creepy novel Before I Go To Sleep is about a woman’s battle to know who to trust when she wakes up every day unable to remember the last 20 years. The author, SJ Watson, turned out to be a man, and it was a clever move by his publisher to use his initials rather than full name, especially since the book is written in the first person.
Also in this series:
So, what about you? Are you thinking of creating a pen name? What are your reasons (if you can tell us!)? Or have you already done it, and how well did it work? I love to hear what you think, and what you’ve experienced.
Hi Belinda,
I too have been considering using a pen name, though I think my reason for wanting to do so may be more atypical. I have had someone impersonating me on the internet and it is causing a host of problems. I was wondering if I should use a pen name when I apply for writing projects (articles, blogs, marketing collateral etc.) while I try to sort the problem out, or is it only considered acceptable for book authors? Also, I’m somewhat unclear whether I should tell prospective clients that I’m using one upfront (and why), or only later when it’s time to be paid. I don’t want to seem dishonest but I also don’t want them weirded out if I tell them right off the bat. Granted, they may be either way! I haven’t yet decided whether I should go with a short form of my middle name, (e.g. Alexa instead of Alexandra) or if I can get away with a different but similar first name, e.g. Lori instead of Laura. I suppose I will also have to consider starting profiles on writer directories etc. using the pen name and how I can use my clips. It’s truly bizarre that I have to adopt another identity because someone else has taken mine. One upside of doing this though, would be that if I write about a controversial topic, I don’t have to be concerned that it may come back to bite me.
Thanks
What an awful thing to happen, Elle! And I understand the difficulty of having to tell clients upfront. Perhaps rather than telling them any of the backstory you could just say “There’s another writer with the same name, so please use ______ in my byline/as my pen name.” Hope you get it sorted out. I’m afraid I’m not a lawyer so can’t advise on the legal aspects of it… but have you considered using your initials, eg A.L. Lastname? That way it’s still your name… just a different form of it.
Hi Belinda,
Appreciate you responding, especially so quickly. That’s a great suggestion to use my initials and last name – it will likely make things much easier than using an entirely different pen name. As far as dealing w/prospective clients, I can actually make a legit claim that there’s someone else w/my name (there is), though I’m certain the creepy impersonator is yet someone else, but I will try that.
I have been looking into the legal aspects already. My impression is that it’s still the wild west when it comes to the internet, but fortunately there seem to be attorneys who are experienced in this area.
Thanks so much for your suggestions. This is a such an informative website. ๐
This has actually got me thinking… As a fanfiction writer under a pen name, should I use the same name for book publishing? I mean, I want to a pen name with a non-gender-ably distinguished sound, since I find that sometimes people have the gender stereotypes as you said, but the pen name is just so absurd, it’d be odd to see it on any kind of book, whether it be ebooks or paperback… -_-” And my name, no matter how I try to, well, mutilate it (?) would STILL sound like a girl’s name… and I want a part of my name to be my pen name. I know of an author who is my teacher’s friend, he’s a guy but his pen name sounds like a girl’s — Tere Liye. Wait, not a girl’s, but a non-gender-distinguished name… I’m losing hope on this one…
Hi Rahma, perhaps have a look at the topselling books on Amazon in the genre you plan to write in. Do they have male, female or gender-neutral names? That might give you a better idea of how much impact it’s having in your genre. If the top 10 in that genre are all male or gender-neutral (eg using initials) then maybe it starts to look like it might be important to readers of that genre. But if there’s a good blend, maybe it doesn’t matter as much as you think it might. Amazon rankings shift a lot, so it’s a good idea to do this check every few days for a month, to get a solid idea of what’s happening there. Wishing you all the best with your choice!
I am a new writer (nothing published, or even submitted yet). I would fall under the “school teacher writing on adult themes” category. I created my pen name so that in the event I ever DO have any of my novels published, I can keep as much anonymity as possible in this Social Media world. With all of that said, the issue I am faced with now is how to use my pen name. Do I only use it in the by line of my work and still make inquiries using my real name? If I enter a local short story contest and I am invited to read the story in person, what do I do then? Do I submit the story using my pen name and read as that person, even though others who are there may know me as my real name? I am not trying to deceive anyone, but I was more just thinking ahead and making sure that if any of my books go anywhere that I try to separate my real name (and my family) from what I am writing.
Any guidance you’d be willing to share I would greatly appreciate!
Hi Elizabeth, I’ve been on conference panels with other writers, and I only knew them by the public name, whereas a couple of people in the room seemed to be calling them a different name when they asked a question. I finally twigged that they were using a pen name! In those cases, all of the advertising and public stuff to do with the conference used the writer’s pen name, but I’m sure the organisers knew their real name. So that could be a model for you to follow. Whether you are looking to speak somewhere, or seeking a publisher, I would imagine you’d be best to make enquiries by your real name, and state clearly what your pen name is. After all, if you are paid to do these things, the payments will go to your bank accounts in your real name. Hope that helps a little. Others reading this comment stream might weigh in with their own experiences. ๐
I’ve been grappling with this for a while now. Stuff I wrote while I took Journalism can be found under my real name, as can websites I created or worked on years ago. If I want to ever delve back into writing articles, I would still use my real name.
Hiding behind a pen name excites me a little. You’re putting yourself out there when you create stories from nothing. I feel like if I took a stab at creative writing (something people keep telling me I’m good at), and failed miserably or received harsh feedback, it would be a fake name getting those criticisms. Fake-me wouldn’t care and would either keep going, or just say “well that was an interesting experiment,” and pack it in. Real-me would be devastated and hide in a corner for years ๐
I’ve also never been overly attached to my last name. People spell it wrong. It sounds clunky. They can’t pronounce it. I’ve never liked it. Obtaining a gutsier persona appeals to me, even though no one in my family I’ve spoken about it to understands and several think I’m insulting the family name by not wanting to be associated with it. It’s really not that great of a name!
Thanks for the article and giving me more to think about!
Yes, I always expected to write fiction under a pen name myself, but then somehow it didn’t happen that way! I think the idea developed back in the days when I expected a publisher to be making all the decisions and guiding the whole process for me, before we built our own profiles and our own careers, and did it online, using our real names. I wish you all the best in finding your own path through this decision. (And I think you might have figured out that a pen name won’t stop the bad reviews hurting… ๐ )
Good morning Belinda,
I currently use a pen name, not because I write paranormal romance, but because soon I’ll be writing my memoirs and I don’t want to offend my family. But I just moved to a new state and am looking for a writers group to become involved in. Do you think I should sign up with my pen name or my real name when I go meet these new people?
Ugh! Decisions, decisions…
Have a great day!
Good morning, Callie. Omigosh, what a difficult decision! If it were me, I think I’d be meeting people as my real name, but you’ll get a feel for what’s right for you. As to any legal ramifications… you’ll need to check with a legal eagle.
An interesting side-note… I was on a panel at a writing conference last year with two women, and afterwards I noticed that some people were addressing them by different names. Because I’d only just met them both, I struggled to keep track of who was who! Took a while for me to twig that they had pen names. I only knew the pen names, and they operated at the conference under their pen names. But these other people obviously knew them personally, and so they addressed them by their real names.
Hi! If ever I opt to use pen name, how will i describe myself on about me if ever I want to hide my true identity.
Can you give me an idea or at least an option please.
thank you so much..
Hi there, you’d need to consult with a lawyer to be sure, but I think most people who do this create an author identity for themselves.
I want to use a Pen name because I don’t like my last name. I want my pen name to be on the cover of my books but I want my real name to be on the copyright claim. When I put copy by in my book text do I include my real name or my pen name? Can I say written by (insert pen name here) on the cover, and have my real name in the copyright? Thanks
Hi Sarah, I’m not a copyright expert and the law varies from country to country. If you are in the USA, you could try this fact sheet from the US Copyright Office. http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl101.pdf You could also try asking this attorney who was interviewed on Molly Greene’s blog: http://www.molly-greene.com/copyright-basics-for-authors/ Hope that helps!
Hi Belinda
I love your website its full of amazing advice,
I’m in the process of completing my first children’s book, and I’m thinking about a pen name. I love my own name but its very common in Ireland and their is an Irish author with the same name, cait sullivan,
I have been blogging some of my short stories with my own name in reverse sullivan cait, but after reading your tips I’m thing a pen name maybe the way forward, so I’ve put both my grandparents surnames together Shea Fehin, but will it be get confusing if I start changing my blog name. Or do I just start fresh.
Sorry I’m a bit new at this and even found the blog a bit if a mission,
Many thanks for all your help
Hi Cait, thanks for your feedback. Yes, it is a bit of a mission getting a blog started, isn’t it? Well done.
When it comes to pen names, it’s very difficult if there are already authors of the same name. You wouldn’t be the first two authors to have the same name, of course. For example, there are two Elizabeth Georges — one writes crime and one writes Christian books, so it’s quite a big difference. ๐
A couple of things to consider might be whether you could use a version of your name, or even a nickname. You might find that easier in the long term. If you’re not going to have a publishing company taking care of the legalities for you, it can be a very good idea to run it by a legal person before you commit to this “new name”, as it could be painful redoing all that work if you find out later that for some reason you can’t have the name you’ve chosen. It’s worth checking if the arts & writing community in your local area has any legal services where you can get free or inexpensive advice. For example, there is an Arts Law group in my city, and writers can get a free consultation for certain things.
As for changing your name on your blog, if you don’t mind your readers knowing your real name as well as your pen name, you can always just transition across to the new name, and tell them what you’re changing to and why. They’ll probably find that interesting. Best wishes with your adventure. ๐
Thank you so much Belinda for your advice it’s very much appreciated
i am mainly thinking of using a pen name because my internet name has always been reddog f.13 or some variant of it. a lot of friends and fans of my art know me by this name.
another reason is because i feel i will dislike my real last name on the cover. harriger is my last name and EVERYONE ive ever met friends, teachers, etc have always pronounced it wrong. i don’t think i would stay sane after hearing a couple fans say it wrong. or the wrong pronunciation spreading IF my stuff ever got remotely popular somewhere.
its pronounced hair-i-grr, but people pronounce it hair-in-jer. no idea where people are getting this magical N sound. after hearing that all my life through school you can see why i don’t want a repeat. same with my first name all through elementary. its shaylin, but people always hear jaylin.
Hi Reddog (or Shaylin!), sounds like you have some very personal reasons for wanting a pen name. JK Rowling’s name has pronunciation troubles too, so you’re in good company. (Apparently it’s “row” as in “row a boat”, but lots of people say “row” as in “ouch!”) However you pronounce it, I think “Shaylin Harriger” is a pretty cool looking name. ๐ I wish you well with whatever you decide about pen names.
Hi there, I can understand how you feel about your last name but if you became a famous author people would learn to pronounce it correctly bcz a lot of people would be repeating it correctly, for instance the media. Your last name is different which would make your name stand out on the bookshelves. Something to consider. Your online moniker could work depending on the type of writing you do but it is a nickname I have heard often so might not be unique.. I also have a last name (Luikens) that is often misprounced but many people recognize it as a Dutch surname, and have commented positively that they like it although it doesn’t feel jazzy enough to me as a fiction writer but I do write non-fiction professionally as Carrie A. Luikens. So maybe multiple pen names is the way to go, suited to the type of writing.
Btw I think your real name Shaylin Harriger is a perfect writer name because it sounds like a cooI pen name already! Plus it is not too long and would fit well in a book cover. We are often more self critical of our own names than other people are, so I think perhaps you might want to try publishing with your real name and you might be surprised to discover other people liking your name. Nowadays there are a lot of writers with difficult to pronounce ethnic names, but eventually everyone learns the correct pronunciation because readers love authors! ๐
Hi Belinda,
Great post! I certainly considered using a pen name for my ebook, The Forest King’s Daughter, which has just been published. But in the end I kept me real name on there as it just seemed simpler! I still wonder about the privacy element of keeping your real name on published work though. For me that was the main reason I considered using a pen name!
I originally thought about it for that reason, too, Kendra. But now that we live in a world where people operate as themselves on social media, and also where it seems anyone can find us if they want to, no matter how private we try to be… I ended up deciding not to bother. It’s definitely a lot of work to set up a pen name in the new online world, and so I personally wouldn’t do it without a very compelling reason. Under the old system where a publisher took care of everything, it wasn’t quite so hard.
I am thinking of using a Pen Name due to someone else having the same name as I do. When searching by Author on Amazon, Google Books, Createspace, etc.. I find that my SCIFI book Galaxies Apart is listed with book about gardening written by another Jason Akers. I have already ran into a situation where credit for my book was given to the Other Jason Akers. Fortunately that site was not selling my book. This article has helped a lot and I would love some feedback from the community on there thoughts of me using s pen name.
Hi Jason, that must be frustrating for you. It’s eventually up to you to decide what you’d like to do, but there are other authors out there with the same problem, for example:
2 x Elizabeth George, one writing crime and the other writing Christian books
2 x Molly Greene, one writing mystery and the other writing history
I’m sure there are many others as well.
You could change to a pen name, and then find someone else using that, as well. An advantage to sticking with your own name is that no one can challenge your right to use it.
You’ve done the right thing by setting up your author profile at Author Central on Amazon. That will help readers to differentiate between Jasons.
It’s a tricky situation. I hope you find a good solution, and I hope others may weigh in here with their thoughts and suggestions too. Have you thought of adding your middle initial?
I have conerns about using pen names too, for some reasons:
1. I want to write some design review articles about designs of my friends / connections. And I’m afraid that the reviews will sound less neutral and objective, if they know I have some connections with those designers.
2. I want to write fictions based on some facts happening in my life, but I wanna add imagination into it. I don’t want my friends or family judge me, or get upset that I use some of them as characters in fiction.
3. I have a personal blog under pen name, reviewing foods and movies . I set up the blog long ago, and chose the pen name as I really loved that name. And I somehow want to link the blog with my copywriting porfolio too.
With those reasons, should I change to pen name? I told some writers, and they criticised that. hmm. It’s like we can’t stay under pen name in this kind of digital world, and I shouldn’t write reviews for the people I know personally.
Can you advise me on this stiuation? I’m torn between two sides. ๐ Thank you so much
Hi Ringo, I suggest if you want to use a pen name for the design reviews that you be transparant about the fact you have personal affiliations with the designers. Regardless of whether you use a pen name or your real name, if you don’t disclose your relationship to the designers to your readers and someone finds out, you could appear deceptive when that is not your intention. You already are using a pen name you like, so perhaps you can continue to use that pen name also for the design reviews but be clear with your readers that you have an affiliation with some designers, and what your purpose is writing reviews for your friends. If you publish the reviews to a personal blog, and truthfully identify your affiliation with the designers, you will gain more respect from your readers. There is nothing wrong with making recomendations for people you know on a personal blog, but if you try to publish your reviews to a newspaper or magazine, they might have policies against that because they want to preserve journalist integrity. I have been a newspaper reporter and music journalist, and believe in upholding objectivity as much as possible,
especially for serious news stories, but for casual entertainment style reviews, you can share your personal opinions as long as you are clear
that it is your opinion. However if you want to write the reviews to be
taken seriously as an objective journalist, it is probably best to avoid
writing about people you personally know. Because you already use a pen name, it is a persona you have adopted, but should any dispute arise (such as if someone doesn’t like the review or feels they were misrepresented) legally you are still responsible for your actions. I advise being cautious about who you write about and get their permission in writing, video or audio that they approved the review. It is not journalism though to take that approach. You become more of a promoter instead, which is fine as long as you clarify that is your intention. I live in the US, so my perspective is based on our laws and journalist code of ethics. Another thing to remember is if you make any public appearances as your pen name persona, your close friends and family are more likely to find out eventually. My advice is honesty is the best course to take.
Hi Carrie,
Thanks a lot for your advice. Your advice is right, writing about my close connections will result in deteriorating my name instead. I think I will remain my true name, and pass those designs to other people that have loose connections with the designers. Your advice is spot-on, I may write about my friends’ designs in my personal blogs and promote them as my friends. It sounds better ๐
You’re welcome, Ringo. Better to be on the safe side than get entangled in a possible legal or personal dispute. Because anything you write online is public, it is a good idea to be careful when writing about other people or reviewing other people’s work. I have noticed it is common for bloggers to mention other bloggers they know in their blog posts or other people they know within their field of interest, but they usually obtain permission from those people before they publicly write about them. Permission meaning: you let that person know you are going to write about them and ask are they ok with you publishing a review about their work?
Perhaps you could interview them instead about their work rather than write a review of their work. That might be more fun! That will keep you in good relations with your friends who are designers, who will appreciate that you are promoting their work and sharing it with other people. They will in turn be more likely to review and promote your work as well. Then you will be part of helping to build an online community around the topics you enjoy.
I think you can also safeguard yourself by including a note at the beginning or end of the review that you have that person’s permission to review/comment on their work or a note that you have a personal association with that person which inspired you to write about their design work. Good luck with your writing projects! ๐
Carrie, your answer is brilliant!! That’s absolutely the spot-on solution for my situation. I just started my freelance writing so I’m inexperienced in handling these kinds of situations, and neccessary laws regarding conflicts of interest or copyrights. Those were not taught in school, sigh, and it’s lucky that I have online friends like you to ask ๐
Good, I’m glad my suggestions are helping you! ๐ I started writing online back in 1999, when everyone was experimenting with the online format. Back then, we all had to learn from each other’s mistakes and successes because there weren’t many rules or guidelines established at that time.
I took a hiatus from writing online around 2006, and now I am in the midst of creating a new blog myself. The world of blogging and online writing has gotten more sophisticated, and people are more connected than ever. I think it is a fantastic time to be a writer. I am very grateful for people like Belinda Pollard who are sharing their advice and wisdom with other writers.
Nice to know about your extensive experience. I just started writing recently, and actually I switched my profession to writing. I was originally a marketer instead, therefore, I didn’t have an official/ proper training in writing or journalism. Luckily, I find this era is the best time for amteur writers like me, as there are many people like you and Belinda for advice and support. ๐ I can’t wait to see your blog, and will definitely follow your blog;)
Thank you Ringo for showing an interest in my blog! I am in the writing/building/design phase right now but will let you all know when it is published ๐
Carrie and Ringo, I’m glad you have been able to trade some useful notes here. And I agree with Carrie’s thought that honesty is always the best policy, in business and writing, as in life. ๐
Thank you Belinda. I think the stakes are higher now for writers to conduct themselves professionally and ethically online. In the early days of the Internet we could get away with being more casual, but now there are more serious repercussions for not being transparent with readers as well as anyone else we interact with through the Internet.
Excellent suggestions from Belinda and everyone regarding reasons for choosing a pen name. I find it interesting several of you feel the need to downplay your gender. That is ok if gender is not important to you, expressed through your name. However, I feel it is important for authors to express their individuality as much as possible, particularly in today’s Internet world where you need to offer something unique to be noticed. A unique ethnic name might be difficult to pronounce, but if you change it to a plain vanilla “American” name for instance, you could be unintentionally adopting a stereotype. Your ethnic name could inspire readers to learn more about other cultures. As a reader, I find it difficult to connect with an author who has two initials instead of a full first name. Although I love J,K. Rowling’s books, I think I would have been quicker to buy her Harry Potter books had I known she was female. I would have thought, wow that is really cool a lady is writing about a boy who is studying magic. I have no issues at all with a man writing female characters or vice versa. Everyone has both male and female aspects to their personality and has lived their whole lives experiencing both aspects from other genders, so I think everyone can tap into that personal knowledge to write about any character. Human beings share many characteristics that can be understood by either gender. Writers sometimes box themselves into categories because of other people’s expectations. I think it’s ok if you feel your name doesn’t feel right to you to change it or use a pen name, but don’t change it because other people think you should.
For those of you thinking about using a pen name, you can try using numerology to determine the energy of the numbers and whether it resonates positively with you or not. You can use this online name calculator to play with different pen names and learn more about the personality or soul meaning of a name: http://www.freetarot.com/numerology/expression-number/
For years I have published nonfiction articles using the name Carrie A. Luikens, which reflects a metaphysical/supernatural meaning although I used that variation of my name for my professional business name and journalist by-line (I was a music columnist for several years). Now that I know more about numerology, that name selection doesn’t seem to fit that type of work although it does fit an aspect of my personality. For my day job I am known as Carrie Luikens, which carries the meaning of leadership. I do often find myself in leadership roles. However my full birth name Carrie Ann Luikens reflects my truest nature, which is my love of writing, communication and creativity. I want to write children’s adventure books, so I have been considering adopting a pen name because I didn’t think my name had enough pizazz to it. However my full birth name is aligned with a creative writing career. I don’t want to use initials or hide my gender. I like my first name but I am not commonly known as Carrie Ann. I am thinking I may adopt my full name as my official author name but might try out some other pen names for fun. I do have a vivid and colorful imagination, so if I should be using a pen name I am sure I will think of one when the time feels right.
A good point, Carrie, that we should use pen names for reasons that feel right to us, rather than just trying to please others, whose opinions we may not know, anyway.
Thank you, Belinda! Close friends or family who may know us might have some good suggestions, but as you said if you don’t feel right about a particular name, don’t use it. Go with something you feel good about. It’s your name on that book, so you want it to be something you are happy with.
Btw I like your full name Belinda! I think it is lovely. I don’t know any Pollards, so I don’t have any negative pyschological association to it.
Thank for this article! I have considered using a pen name simple because my married last name is usually mispronounced (it starts with a j sound like the word genius) and sometimes it is confused to be ethnic. After reading your article I’m not sure the pen name would be worth the extra effort though! But maybe I am incorrect, would any one be willing to offer their opinion or first impressions of my name? I won’t be offended ๐
It’s such a subjective thing, Brittany… but I don’t have a problem with your last name. Also, no one knows how to pronounce JK Rowling’s last name, but it doesn’t seem to have damaged her career. ๐ (apparently it’s “row” as in row a boat)
Something I often suggest is to make up a dummy book cover in two versions, one with your real name and one with the pen name you’re considering using, and see how you feel about it.
Hi Belinda
Again you’ve proven helpful with the information on your site :). I have been thinking about using a pen name but wasn’t sure how it would work with social media. I haven’t really begun on twitter and I’ve yet to establish a blog but I have about 350 Facebook friends. If I want to use a pen name which is based on a derivative of my first name and my maiden name, am I best to just change my Facebook name to my pen name and use that name for Twitter and my soon to be developed website/ blog? Or do I run another Facebook site? I’m not doing it because of secrecy, and there is nothing wrong with Sue Jeffrey as a name but I really like the other name which is more gender neutral. It would be good for thrillers/speculative fiction – so maybe I should stick to Sue Jeffrey for the more romantic suspense focused works – but I’m not sure I want to maintain multiple sites. Hmmm. Not sure what to do!
I hope Belinda will forgive me from butting in, but this sounds very similar to my own situation, so I thought I’d give it a go.
I keep a blog, twitter and pinterest accounts in my author name. I retain my personal facebook account (in my real name), but have an author page under my author name. Everything I post on my author page also shows up on my personal feed, so provided you explain to your personal friends why they are also getting posts from this strange other person, everyone is clear and happy.
Facebook followers then ‘like’ my author page to get notifications, but I only accept ‘friend’ requests for my personal page from real friends.
I’ve been doing it like this for nearly a year (and two books) so far, and it’s working well.
Thanks for your input, Deborah, and very happy to have someone “butt in”. ๐ It’s a very complex issue.
I also recommend this article from Kristine Kathryn Rusch, who has more pen names than you can poke a stick at, and talks about the whole issue here: http://kriswrites.com/2013/10/02/the-business-rusch-pen-names/
She seems to have one main website where she does the bulk of her blogging, and her websites for the other names all explain clearly under “About” that she has mutiple names and what they are.
Thanks Belinda (and also Deborah) :). That link is useful as it helps me rule out using my maiden name which I still use in my profession. Another friend suggested that in Australia, using a pen name might go against you. If I promote myself as Mary Bloggs but turn up to a local author talk as Sue Jeffrey and they know me, it could confuse, bemuse, amuse and ultimately lead to my rejection if they thought i was ‘hiding something’ or being pretentious. What do you think? I think that could be more of a problem if I was traditionally published than if I go the indie publishing route.
I guess one of the questions to ask, Sue, is whether your book has a strong local flavour, and if you expect local readers to be your biggest market. Alternatively, are you very widely known (ie worldwide or country-wide) by your real name?
If the answer to both of these is “no”, it’s possibly not such a big deal, as it may be a relatively small number of people affected in the way your friend fears. Perhaps you could just circumvent it by being very open about both your real and pen names, if secrecy is not an issue.
Check out Kimberley Freeman’s “About” page and see if it gives you any inspiration. http://kimberleyfreeman.com/about/ (She is an Australian author who also writes as Kim Wilkins.)
Hi Belinda. Kimberly’s website is excellent :). I see how she’s linked the two together. My first novel is YA (romantic suspense) and set in Brisbane and probably has more local, Australian appeal. The NA one I’m working on now begins in Australia and ends up in Europe so it has a more international flavour. I have no fame, nor infamy, beyond my locality so that question doesn’t apply ;). I do see myself writing in different genres at some stage so I will probably be best to use two names but Kristine Kathryn Rusch seems to think that’s needed less nowadays… Lots of food for thought. Now I just need to decide if I will keep seeking a publisher or go indie with the YA novel ;). Decisiveness was never my strongpoint.
Haha, “I used to be indecisive but now I’m not sure”. I’ve been dithering about the pen name thing for myself for ages, too. In fact, I’m planning a blog post about it. ๐
Question: I’m writing a nonfiction “how-to” ebook. It focuses in the niche of career development. I want to use a pen name for business reasons. I don’t associates, bosses or customers calling me and ask “hey – did you write that book?
The pen name author will assume a job history similar to mine. This is so the reader believes that he is the expert on the topic. Therefore – that is one reason to read the ebook.
I know you are not a lawyer…..but are there “legal” issues in doing that?
thanks….
Hi Gregg, for many people authorship can enhance their business reputation, but I can imagine some situations where the opposite might be true.
As for legal issues, I have an upcoming guest post from a lawyer on pen names.
In the meantime, the main issue the US copyright office mentions is proving ownership of the work: “be aware that if a copyright is held under a fictitious name, business dealings involving the copyrighted property may raise questions about its ownership. Consult an attorney for legal advice on this matter.” You can check out the rest of their short article at http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl101.html
10-Q for your answers……
Belinda:
As an aspiring writer, I guess I’ve always wanted to become “famous” under my own name. Of course massive fame come with a loss of privacy. My first book is a memoir/novel that might irritate some of my old friends from school (it’s now 30 years later…) Any thoughts? This would probably be my only work with ANY non-fiction in it…
Gary, one thought that occurs to me is that if your book ends up being that successful, your old friends might find out about it anyway, even if you use a pen name!
For my own clients, I always suggest they run their memoirs past a lawyer before publishing, just to make sure they are minimising any potential problems. In Australia there are Arts Councils which can often arrange a short consultation with a suitable lawyer, usually for free or at least cheap. You could do some searches to find out if there’s something similar wherever you live.
As for how a book makes other people feel, separate to the litigation aspectโฆ well that’s one that each writer must decide for themselves. ๐
I’m in the process of looking into blogging, so I haven’t published anything yet. Can you imagine the difficulty of using my own name? Historically, it has been misspelled and mispronounced so I thought a pen name would be easier. Unless I were to publish in a scientific journal, which is not out of the question. I am fond of my name for its uniqueness and the story behind it–but, with few exceptions, using it might prove difficult. I don’t have the complication of a twitter account and I’m not certain that a 2nd Facebook account is absolutely necessary. I usually answer to “Rose” because it’s less formal and I don’t always include my married name (Davidson). LaPan is a somewhat regional and ethnic name, which could be good or bad. Looking in the family tree is an interesting idea–so much to consider!
It’s a tricky decision, Roslee. Having an unusual name is not by itself a reason to opt for a pen name. Even common names can present problems at times. For example, I have a favourite author named Philip (or is it Phillip??) and each time I search for him I ask myself: “Two Ls or one?” And people have spelled my name wrongly many, many times over the years.
But your full name does have 19 characters, so the length might be a challenge for social media and .coms. ๐ So you might choose to shorten it to Roslee LaPan or Rose LaPan or even Roslee Davidson. It’s quite a lovely name really, has a musical sound to it. Wishing you well with your difficult choices! ๐
One issue I find interesting is the gender issue. I know that women have used initials and pen names because the writing of books was the sole realm of the male. Now, it’s changing. I’m considering using a pen name with initials for that reason. I was even considering using a woman’s name, but book signings might be awkward.
I’ve seen stories in the news recently that complained about women being underrepresented in the world of literary prizes. That may be a valid complaint. But in the world of commercial fiction, women are well-represented.
I’ve been querying a novel under my own name. I’ve found that the vast majority of agents are women. Many of those represent exclusively women, or a very large percentage of women (i.e., over 80%).
In the world of small publishing, a very high percentage are women. My publisher is owned and operated by women. Their editor is a woman, and one of the two cover designers is woman.
60% of the readers of fiction are women. Men read very little fiction, outside of action/adventure/spy and science fiction/fantasy. You don’t see a genre of “men’s lit,” or “men’s fiction.”
So, I feel the pendulum swinging in the other direction. If I were a woman, I’d make it clear on the cover that the book was written by a woman
Interesting perspective, Michael. As Paul said in his comment above, he’s been experimenting with a woman’s name and getting different attitudes, and it worked well for SJ Watson to use his initials and be discreet about his gender at the beginning.
I agree with you about the predominance of women in the publishing industry too. Most of the editors and publishers I know are women. I don’t know why that is, but it’s definitely a common thing.
Whichever gender we belong to, I guess it boils down to weighing up that step of a different or slightly altered name, if it’s going to help a particular book get past readers’ unhelpful preconceptions.
Thanks Belinda,
I’ll keep a look out for your future blog post regarding the matter. ๐
Hello Belinda,
I have submitted 300K words for critique to a writing site in the last 16 months. I have just re-submitted the first chapter of an historical romance, but I have halved my age and changed sex. I have just started getting responses, but already the tone is different. In the reviews of all that writing, I have never experienced the word “cute” before. I am beginning to detect some solicitude now (for a youngish woman), whereas previously there were occasional elements of deference and respect (for an older man).
I am enjoying reading your page – I have taken in all the arguments and am in a state of well-informed confusion.
Hi Paul, it seems to me a “state of well-informed confusion” is the best that many of us can hope for on the pen name issue! ๐ I’ve dithered a lot, myself, and am so far sticking with my own name as the easiest option. It really does come down to a judgement call, and no one can make the decision for another person.
It’s interesting the difference you’ve noticed in responses. And what an intriguing experiment to try out the possibilities of writing under another name, before you commit! Would love to hear your further thoughts when you’ve extended the experiment for a little longer.
Hi Belinda,
I was doing some research on using a pen name, I came across your blog. Thanks for the great advice. For me, reason 3 is the most applicable. I’m writing and illustrating a graphic novel at the moment and thinking of using a pen name. I lived in England for more than a decade, now I moved back to Malaysia. My real name is hard to pronounce and very ethnic, so by using a pen name it might be more accessible to a wider audience.
I’m thinking of using my wife’s maiden name which is Jackson (She’s English by the way). I’m not thinking of hiding from who I really am. My question is, how do you go about doing it for the copyright reason and other legal matters? I would be very much appreciated if you can give me some advice.
Zafrie, there are lots of people who do use a pen name for just that reason. I think the world is definitely more ethnically adaptable now than it was in generations past, but there’s always that big issue: can people find me on Amazon? It’s a tricky one with no easy answers (even simple names can be mispelled), and each writer must decide for themselves in the end. Hope you find a path that works well for you! ๐
As for the copyright and legal issues, I’m not a lawyer so I wouldn’t like to steer you in the wrong direction. However, I’ve had a few people asking about these things, so I think I’d better find some lawyers to interview or guest post for me. Stay tuned for future blog posts on these topics!
Thanks! ๐ Lots to think about.
Hi Belinda,
Great article! Thanks for writing it ๐
I started writing with a pen name several years ago, because I wanted to keep my writing and my professional life separate. It’s worked well; I’ve had several short stories and articles published. However, while I was in the process of redoing my website, I found out there is another author who is using the same name as my pen name. I chose mine because it was the name of the county my father grew up in, minus one letter; he chose his because his first and middle names were too difficult to say. Do you think this is going to be a problem? I’ve only had small publications so far, and don’t have an agent or editor. I’d love to hear your advice!
Hi Sue, that is a tricky one. Especially since it’s a pen name rather than real name for both of you!
If you do end up getting a publisher or agent, they may well have recommendations to make about it. In the meantime, I suspect you’ll probably need to make a judgement call based on your own needs and preferences. And you may be wise to consult an IP lawyer regarding any of the legal implications, as obviously that’s not my field! ๐
One thing to bear in mind as you think it through: There are lots of authors in the world with the same name. Just one example, there are two successful authors named Elizabeth George — one writes crime and the other writes religion (what a difference!). So two authors having the same name is not, in and of itself, a disaster.
I was going to use a pen name. I didn’t think writing murder mysteries with a steadily rising body count and an AFP approved money laundering scheme would be a good promotion for my teaching and consultancy ( three degrees of murder) . For two reasons I decided against it. 1) My main marketing was going to be emailing my friends saying “read my book” . 2) I didn’t think I could maintain the seperate persona whilst blogging and tweeting
I know the problem, Wendy! In some ways I’d like to keep my writing/publishing personas separate. But then I have enough trouble organising one persona. I blundered into publishing and then blogging using my real name, and now I seem to be happy enough to take the line of least resistance and just leave it that way.
I would like to use my penn name of Lady Lagoon,because I feel that it is the name I truly like.And with my real name,even though it sounds like a pen name,I’d rather stick to Lady Lagoon.(even if it means I have to put up with the annoying space in my name)
Plus,I feel,because I have touched so many lives with the name of LadyLagoon and I could touch more lives with Lady Lagoon,instead of my real name.
Again,this is just my thoughts.=)
Ciao,
LadyLagoon-The Italian Chick/Aspi/Manager/Diary Writer/Storyteller/www.my-diary.org/read/d/809141
Hi Lady Lagoon, I’m glad you’ve found a name that you like and want to keep working under. It’s so important when we choose a pen name that we choose one we can actually enjoy using for the long term! ๐
Obviously, pondering this topic yet again is what brought me here. I have a life coaching business where I’ve used my real name. I also write web content–random business, marketing, real estate articles, etc– under a pen name. You won’t find any of these with a Google search of my real name unless you do a bit of mining. Simply wanted to keep things separate.
Life coaching articles I have on my blog and with Ezine Authors show my real name. One relative that puts her nose up at Christian anything, said she tried to find my other articles and all she found “Was that [annoyed look on face] coaching stuff.”
Because of that reaction and fear of reaction of other non-Christian relatives or husband’s co-workers, I’m pondering how to publish an eBook I just wrote in the coaching genre, which I will sell.
I’ve been looking for work in addition to writing, and wonder if a web presence might work against me.
Suggestions? Also, can non-fiction simply be published under organization name in some way without saying who the author is?
Hmmm, Happy Heart, sounds like a tricky one. As though you’ve put your real name on the stuff you wish you’d put your pen name on, and vice versa.
A question that I might ask myself in that situation is: How much does it matter to me what others think of my involvement in “Christian stuff”? How will it affect what I’m trying to achieve with my writing? What are the implications for my family? What do I want my name to be connected with, long term?
Of course, only you can make the decision. Drawing up a chart of pros and cons could be helpful as you try to narrow it down: you could have several columns, e.g. Pen Name/Own Name, divided into coaching and business/other writing, with pros and cons for each. And since you are a Christian, you can of course pray about it! ๐
I’ve faced the dilemma in the past of how my business writing, spiritual writing and thriller writing can possibly co-exist under the same author name. But then I just blundered on in and started writing them all under my actual name. And I may change it later to reduce confusion, but currently I’m thinking I’ll just leave it like that, because it’s easier!
Wishing you wisdom as you ponder. ๐
My thoughts exactly. Thank you for responding.
Hi, Thanks for sharing your ideas. I’ve been researching pen names this evening and came across your blog.
A question in my mind … with the different pen names do you use a picture of the “real” you? Someone (elsewhere) suggested to purchase a model picture. I don’t think so! That is a stumbling block to me – I wouldn’t want to use a picture of someone else. What would you advise in that case?
Linda, I wouldn’t want to give you “advice” as such, especially when I don’t know all the facts of your situation… but from my own point of view, I’d be using a photo of myself. That’s because, were I to use a pen name, it would be for the purposes of keeping different styles of my writing and different parts of my life separate, rather than needing a complete cloak of secrecy.
I’ve seen a number of people on Twitter who use what appears to be their own photo and are quite open about their different names. And if you think about it, if you’re interviewed on Oprah under your pen name, you have to answer the questions using your own face. ๐
If the pen name was for reasons of safety or security, it would probably be best to consult an IP lawyer or other specialist, who could help with targeted advice.
Personally, I’d rather use no photo than use someone else’s. And I can see a possibility where a writer could end up in hot water later when the model for the stock image found out how they were being represented! Hope you figure out a good path forward for your own pen name ideas. ๐
Thank you for this post, Belinda. I am currently a substitute teacher, and I have discovered that this particular job has plenty of “stranger-than-fiction” moments. As such, I decided that I would begin recording my adventures (I’ll get some use out of this English degree yet).
There are–of course–problems with my idea. I’m not exactly a permanent employee at any of the school districts I work for, as I am not given the possibility of tenure. Considering the revealing nature of some of the events I have witnessed, I highly doubt I would be maintaining any semblance of a job in any of those school districts for very long (assuming that my work became published, anyway). The identities of my students would also be an issue; though, I was planning on changing their names anyway.
I guess my question isn’t so much of whether I should have a pseudonym (that is a given); but, rather, if I should bother writing this collection of school-time shenanigans at all. I know this is probably a difficult question, so I don’t blame you if you don’t have an answer for me, Belinda. I just needed to get this off my chest.
Thanks again for the great post.
It is a tricky question, CW, and yes, I can imagine you’d need to change more than just names… lots of identifying details too! You could always just write it anyway, to get it out of your head, and then decide later–in consultation with some people you trust–whether or not to publish, and what stays and what gets deleted. Best wishes for your project. ๐
C. W. – I’m the same Barbara as the May 14 comment. I worked at a local school system many, many years ago, teaching pre-school children before there was a kindergarten program in the system. I also worked with the local ‘welfare’ office for over 30 years, then at a local technical school teaching the same ‘welfare’ clients I had worked with previously, after I retired from the welfare office. I have a tremendous number of ‘stories’ that I can draw from, and have been while I write a number of short stories and two novels so far. I will be publishing shortly after the first of the year. But no one will ever be able to identify the specific clients I’m talking about because the names, identities, personalities, descriptions, most everything about them have been changed. Even the people I worked haven’t recognized the situations as they read the stories due to the changes I made in the people and situations.
It can be done, just a little work to do so. Also, you may want to let some time go by before you start trying to publish, write notes to yourself now, publish later.
I live in a small town, and have a professional career that is still growing…but not in the writing field, rather in the marketing/consulting world. I have always wanted to write a memoir…but…I don’t really want to expose sometimes ‘sordid details’ about my personal life and past to all the people who know me in this town, or to all the people who know me, in my professional (occupational) circles.
But, it seems it would be a lot of trouble…and get confusing for me…to go by a pen name.
What’s a girl (mid-late-30s woman) to do??
OK, now I’ve gone and exposed my real name, anyway. ๐
Don’t worry Heather, you can always use your pen name for the memoir later! ๐
But the situation you describe is one where a pen name could be handy. A pen name isn’t a forcefield protecting you from all discovery–these days people can find out things if they want to, using those nefarious interwebs etc. But it could probably maintain a reasonable degree of privacy for you, or at least a sense of separation between your two “personas”.
I know a writer who’s been using a pen name for one part of his writing that he didn’t want connected to his government and corporate work, but he’s getting to the point now where keeping those parts of himself separate is a bit of a pain. So he’s going to let the worlds collide, and see what happens.
It’s a conundrum. I hope you find a good solution that you are at peace about. In the meantime, just write the memoir. You can decide what name to publish it under, later. ๐
Thank you so mcuh for your great advice… Nice to get some feedback on this. ๐
Should have been: Thank you so *much* for your great advice… Nice to get some feedback on this. ๐
I remember having the pen name/author name conversation back in my high school English class (oh so long ago). There was an argument for the success of strong and memorable names, kind of a linguistic side of things. Names such as Stephen King arguably have a resounding solidity to them.
I’m not sure if I’ll use a pen name or not when the time comes. Admittedly there’s a certain vanity in wanting to use my given name (maybe all those popular people from back in high school will see my name and be impressed… maybe not), as well as a commitment to authenticity, but I also want to do what’s best for the success of my writing.
I am struggling with this now. I am also struggling with how will I handle this when I do public events.
I think you would generally need to do the public events in your pen name… that becomes your public identity. Of course it depends on your situation and how well known you are already. Some authors who need to preserve privacy just don’t do public events… Tricky.
I write in various genres because the stories that come to me fall under a wide range: paranormal, romance, detective thriller, fantasy, erotic. I also write poetry and non-fiction. I doubt I’d remember half the names I’d need to give myself for each genre (although I have published poetry under Jay Z).
My pen name is made up of a family pet name and my middle name, so I’m not straying too far from authenticity. Even better, there’s no struggle to ever remember what it is!
Sounds like you’ve found a good solution, JJ. So important to find a pen name you can remember and answer to (e.g. when you get asked a question by Oprah!)
I have so many genres in my writing kit too. I’d have trouble keeping track of 4 or 5 pen names!
Thanks for another fascinating post. I was going to use a pen name for my novels, but like Maryann Kovalski, stubbornness stopped me. Maybe I should have, though, as my surname is hard to pronounce. Has it put people off? Who knows? Maybe. But hopefully, eventually, people will associate the name with good writing – whether crime fiction or historic fiction, and it won’t matter what it is. I live in hope ;o)
I wouldn’t have thought there was anything wrong with your name, Marianne, and I actually don’t have any trouble knowing how to pronounce Wheelaghan, but that may be because I’m doing it wrong! ๐
I think names should be “innocent until proven guilty”. The burden of proof is on the side of the pen name. I wouldn’t use one myself without good reason… too much trouble!
Belinda, you must have a psychic streak. I have been wrestling with the question of whether to create a pen name. I write literary fiction, however, my most recent work has strayed across genres into fairy tale and the paranormal. I like to think that the language is still up to snuff, but for marketing and branding purposes, I am considering a pen name for the non-literary projects. As you mention in your blog, I was thinking of going gender-neutral. Carrie Ann is a nice enough name…but it does seem a little feminine even for a woman. Sort of like “Molly” or “Sherry.” I don’t think I’d be considering this change if I’d been christened Caroline or Katherine! Anyway, thanks for another thoughtful and enlightening post.
Names are so loaded with meaning, aren’t they? And every person will hear a name differently, because of someone they once knew with that name.
You could always consider dropping one part of your first name for the different genre, e.g. Carrie Lahain, or Ann Lahain. Lahain does have quite a good sound for paranormal… ๐
If you have a blog, you could poll your readers to see what they think.
I have to say that since I’ve been working on this article, I’ve started to seriously think about a pen name for my wilderness thrillers. And I do like the possibilities of the gender-neutral name… not initials, but a first name that can be male or female. So many ideas…
Great Post Belinda, i hav chosen to cut myself in half, as Andrew Marsh for crime and thrillers and Andrew F Marsh for fantasy faery stories. The two are so vastly different that i felt i had no choice, for the former is very adult and the latter, suitable for children from around 10 to 12 upwards
It’s tricky isn’t it Andrew? I have the same problem in my wildly conflicting genres!
I’ve written and illustrated children’s picture books under my (maiden) name for twenty five years. Many found it difficult to pronounce and I never liked it much myself. Sheer stubbornness made me keep it.
I always vowed that if I had another chance, I wouldn’t make my life so unnecessarily cumbersome.
Now, I hope for a career as an adult fiction novelist. Do I query agents under my old name, or new?
People will give you varying advice on that, Maryann, but I think you’d be wisest to query under your new name, but also include a line like: I have been writing and illustrating children’s picture books as Maryann Kovalski for 25 years.
That way they can check up on your publishing pedigree, but they also know you plan to write adult fiction in a different way.
I hope it goes really well for you!
Shelf placement. The authors of The Warriors Series (MG fiction) use a pen name. They chose it because it allowed their books to fall next to a very popular author in their genre.
Ooh, what a cunning idea. Now let’s see, who should I be beside…
Hm, hadn’t thought of all those possibilities under protecting the author’s identity.
I write fiction under a pseudonym (Deborah Jay) to separate it from my non-fiction books (Debby Lush) and also because I didn’t want to publish in the US as a Lush !
Admittedly my non-fiction is also available in the US, but as it’s the name I’m known under in my professional field, it seemed sensible to leave it be.
I chose my pen name by taking my middle initial (J) and turning it into a surname – I’m sometimes known as ‘DJ’ at home.
As my two fields are so radically different, I have no trouble at all keeping 2 separate identities, and my non-fiction subject (competition horse training) is not populated by ‘techie’ people – most of them don’t have time for it, so website, fb page and LinkIn does the job without too much updating needed, leaving me to focus my online time on my fictional persona.
Hi Deborah/Debby, that’s very convenient that only one of your personas needs to be online. It makes it quite doable. And handy that you had an initial that worked as a name.
I sort of just fell into using my real name back when my first book of meditations was published and subsequent contributions to quarterlies. So it was already known by a niche market long before any of the Twittering etc started.
And when I started to build an online presence/community I automatically did it with my real name. But I do feel a bit as though “Belinda Pollard” isn’t really a thriller author’s name. First name sounds a bit too gentle for mayhem in the wilderness, and the second name is rather staid and also a type of chook food! ๐ I guess it’s still not too late to choose a pseudonym, as my novel isn’t out yet, but oh, the extra work!
Yes, I see your dilemma. Seems to me that advice on the matter is fairly evenly split between yay and nay – (or should that be, neigh, in my case?) so I guess you just have to make your decision based on what you feel is most suitable for you.
I find I’m being quite open about the two identities being the same person, even admitting to it on my Twitter profile, but I personally think it helps with branding in discreet genres when new readers find your books, even if it is more work!
Still chuckling about yay or neigh.
Yes, the new readers is a very valid point. I hardly think that my current readership is going to transfer easily to such a different genre!
I have such a common name that it makes sense for me to use a different one as a pen name. Choosing one has been difficult, though. Difficult to believe, I know, but both married names already have authors using them. My maiden name is shared by a sister in law, who would not appreciate my using it. What to do?
Oh Barbara, it’s such a pain when other people have stolen your excellent name! ๐ I was frustrated that someone already had my Twitter handle, and I had to put an underscore in it (especially when the woman who had @belindapollard hadn’t used it for years…) And people often get me confused with another Australian journalist who has my name (I used to be a journalist but not any more, so they credit me with reports that aren’t mine!)
I’m working on some practical tips for next week on how to choose a pen name. I hope they might help.