How secret do you keep your pen name?

I am not yet published, but have thought about a pen name if I choose to use one instead of my real name. I am an open book. If someone asks me a question I'll tell them honestly.

I wrote a few Erotic fiction stories, and when I tell people I write they ask what I say "I've dabbled in screenplays, poetry, wrote a few adult rated stories, and am working on an autobiography and a novel right now" If they want more details i'll tell them. If I do have a pen name it will just be to pay homage to the people that inspired me to write RL Stine and Lisa McMann, so it may be something like RL McMann or something along those lines if anything.

It wont be used in a way to keep anonymity. I'm sure that being an open book in todays cyber age will kick me in the butt in the long run but as a writer I want my readers to be able to look me up online, see my vlogs, see my old blogs, see the struggles and triumphs i've faced and when they read my book, maybe see a bit of me in the book. See something and say "Oh he probably got that description from his childhood home" or something along those lines.

I started using a pen name because my writing changed a lot after having a young adult novel published under a small press a few years back. I also wanted the freedom to write whatever I felt without judgement from those around me. It's been the best thing I could have ever done. I actually feel more myself under my pen name, have more freedom, am more grounded, happy and all that crap.

My pen name isn't a secret at all. It's my real name I keep hidden.

I use pen names only because my last name is insanely google-able -- I'm the only me, as far as I can tell, in the English speaking world at least -- and I don't want to be that easy to find. Also, I write pretty spicy stuff, and my kids are still young, so.

I use a pen name because I wanted something that was easy to say and recognize. My real name is not that, it gets misspelled and mispronounced all the time (both first and last). My daughter was the only one in my family that wanted me to use one because of the type of story I wrote, the husband didn't care and my boys are too young to even know. Well the 12 yr does but he doesn't really care either.

People pick pen names for a variety of reasons. I recently set up my website and was trying to figure out a picture to put up, the girl asked me why I would do that, it defeated the purpose of using a pen name. Teenagers LOL

Ferret said:

I suppose how secret an author keeps a pen name depends partially on the purpose of a pen name.

I've chosen to use a pen name because I like my privacy, and I want to be able to keep separate parts of my life somewhat separate. Also, my real name is a bit of a mouthful.

I was wondering how people who write under pen names for similar reasons handle it. I've told some of my family and a couple of friends. What about you? Are you pretty open about it with people you know, or are you really secretive?

What about those of you who write full-time under pen names? When you meet people for the first time and they ask what you do, what do you tell them?

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I currently am using my real name and 2 pen names in other genres. A lot of folks know one of the names, it's not a secret or anything. The other name is very private and no one else knows.

My pen names are more a matter of business convenience than secrecy. Heck, I outed myself on my own blog, and here on AW in 2011. So it doesn't take a PI license to find out who I am.

I'm not ashamed of what I write, and I don't really care to associate with anyone who might be. I have another career in art, under my legal name, and it intersects often enough with my writing that I see no point in hiding the connection.

The business reasons? I do art under one name. One pseud is contractually linked to a single publisher. Another is the name I used for one anthology submission, but I'll probably never use it again. The fourth name is the one I'll be using from here on out for all my erotic romance and mainstream science fiction/fantasy.

The first and last names in my wallet are both mispronounced by strangers 100% of the time. After a while, it grates on my nerves to be called the wrong thing day in and day out. Jane is simple, nearly foolproof. Berry is my great-grandmother’s maiden name. I saw a photo of her and we look like sisters, so I’m definitely a Berry.

I’ve told people that I write, but I have one innocuous little nonfiction book published under my wallet name that I can point them to. No one digs very deep when they’re just making conversation.

Also, I’m a woman writing science fiction. Have you seem some of the vitriol that gets flung at us lately? I’d rather not make it simple for strangers to harass me at home.

My pen name is simply what I wish my real name is. I'm thinking about getting it legally changed.

I don't keep my pen name a secret. In fact, I almost always go by it. Unless I know ahead of time I'm going to have to sign something.
If someone asks me why I use a pen name I usually tell them my real name is Steve King and therefore I needed a pen name. But sadly that isn't true, and I was just born with a boring name.
My pen name, Thomas Lorcroft is exactly what I wish my name was and probably will be changed by this time next year.

I keep my pen name fairly distant from my real name.

My real name is so secret people keep calling me it by accident.

Thing is, is was always about a separation from the other genre stuff I'd done before (fantasy romance mostly) rather than trying to hide who I am. If I was doing that, I wouldn't go to cons as Francis because many people know me there as "real name".

Next year will be fun because I will be being both Francis and "real name" as the next series is me being me. If you see what I mean...

So yes, it depends on the reasons you had for taking a pen name in the first place. KJ Parker for instance -- no one* really knows whether they are even male or female, let alone who they are behind the pen. (All that's really known is they are an author who also writes in another genre)

*Except people at the publishing house. Hmm, I wonder if I could winkle it out of them...

My pen name is Chinese, because I live in China and it's easier to have a Chinese name. So, not so secret in China, but not much use back in my home country.

I'm not in the situation yet but it's entirely possible I'll have to use a pen name, since my name is very similiar to a bestselling author with a ton of books (ironically, it's HER pen name). I really would rather not, though, so if I do it's not going to be the tiniest secret at all. I'll want everyone I know to know I've published a novel, hehe.

*backs OP against wall*

Who told you I have a pen name?????

If I manage to become successful at this book writing thing. Then I'm going to post my real name all over it...