pen name or no pen name

E.F.B. said:

I'd say some people use pen names for the sake of privacy, even if there's no conflict between their writing and their job, other writing, family, friends, another author's name etc. Some people just like to remain anonymous to the general public.

Now the question is, how do you come up with a satisfactory pen name?

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There's an old theory that the best pen name uses a last name that puts it at eye level in a brick and mortar bookstore. Isaac Asimov and Roger Zelazny probably didn't believe you had to have books there in order to sell well, but it makes a kind of sense.

TomKnighton said:

Pen names are a personal decision that each writer has to determine for themselves.

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Not always...sometimes it's a business decision brought on by a publisher. I know authors who have multiple pen names for the same genre because of compete clauses in their contracts.

Even if you don't choose a pen name (and use your real name), you can be forced to change it down the road. Publishing is a business and your pen name is part of your brand.

Jamesaritchie said:

No, they are not the same thing. To use a pen name, you just put whatever name you like in the byline of the story. The publisher then uses that name on the book. There's no registration to it.

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Thank you for the info James. I appreciate you taking the time to answer.

I'm a long way from it mattering one way or the other, but I like to store as much information up front as possible so I won't be blind-sided somewhere down the road. One can never be too careful where legalities are concerned.

Some authors use different pen names for the books they write in various genres. A pen name for each genre. And some do not necessarily 'hide' this information. On a website, they'll say they use this name for horror, that one for romance, etc.

But if you are writing something and wish to keep your identity fairly secret, a pen name is the way to go.

Jamesaritchie said:

There's an old theory that the best pen name uses a last name that puts it at eye level in a brick and mortar bookstore. Isaac Asimov and Roger Zelazny probably didn't believe you had to have books there in order to sell well, but it makes a kind of sense.

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Wow that's a neat thought. It does make sense. When I look for books I am certainly guilty of not wanting to bend down to find one. I am a taller gentleman though.

MandyHarbin said:

Not always...sometimes it's a business decision brought on by a publisher. I know authors who have multiple pen names for the same genre because of compete clauses in their contracts.

Even if you don't choose a pen name (and use your real name), you can be forced to change it down the road. Publishing is a business and your pen name is part of your brand.

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All true. I have a couple of pseudonyms that I use by choice, but publishers and contracts can force the decision. So can ghostwriting of various sorts.

Another question: If you become published under a pen name and go on a promotional tour, do you use your pen name in responding to customers in a bookstore? Like being a character on stage?

jcwriter said:

Another question: If you become published under a pen name and go on a promotional tour, do you use your pen name in responding to customers in a bookstore? Like being a character on stage?

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Yep. Same goes for other authors at conventions, meetings, etc. Many of those you meet will not be introduced by their legal names.

I've been back and forth with this too.
Because I'm writing about a more controversial subject and also because I plan to write in multiple genres I think I will probably use a pen name.

But I also want to see my name in print too! Bragging rights!

I might use apen name even though its just my two initials and last name lol

Not much different from most actors who use stage names

That being said, i'd like to remain separate from my day job so likely will use a pen name

As the rest have said, it's a personal choice.

If you write monster erotica, ("Taken by the T-Rex", "Breed by the Giant Octopus") and you work as a teacher - it might be a good idea.

Those are actual, real books.

WormHeart

arcan said:

What's the real use of a pen name. Is it really necessary or not?

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It's up to you. Some people use a pen name, some people don't. There are many reasons you may chose to use a pen name:

There's already a well known writer with the same name

You share a name with a serial killer, celebrity etc

You don't want people to know your real name

You are well known in your day job field and don't want your interests to overlap

You write in different genres and you want to identify each one

Your own name is very hard to spell or pronounce

You just want to use a different name

Scattergorie said:

Is a pen name an entity similar to a dba (doing business as) meaning that it must be registered with the proper government authorities, paid for and renewed on an ongoing basis?

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You're asking for legal advice, here, really ... and I don't know if anyone here is qualified to offer it. I'm almost certain the answer's going to vary, according to where you live, too. (In the U.S., for example, the registration procedures for any commercial activity vary greatly from state to state, and sometimes even from city to city). I suspect that in many places "writing under a pen-name" and "self-publishing under a pen-name" would also be two very different things.

Scattergorie said:

It's confusing because I've seen the terms dba and fictitious name used almost interchangeably.

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I don't think they are interchangeable, really. With trade publishing, when books are published under a pen-name, the author's publisher and agent are (almost always) aware of the author's true identity and payments would normally be made to the author in their own name, without anything like a "dba" bank account being needed, anyway.

MandyHarbin said:

Yep. Same goes for other authors at conventions, meetings, etc. Many of those you meet will not be introduced by their legal names.

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I would add that other authors will likely talk to you or refer to you using the pen name as a courtesy when in a bar or on a panel or such; only using your real name when you're alone at a meal or chatting in a quiet corner.

alexaherself said:

I don't think they are interchangeable, really. With trade publishing, when books are published under a pen-name, the author's publisher and agent are (almost always) aware of the author's true identity and payments would normally be made to the author in their own name, without anything like a "dba" bank account being needed, anyway.

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In a way, they can be the same. I know a number of authors who have a dba that's the same as their pseudonym(s). It's useful for getting bank accounts and credit cards to pay for hotel rooms and meals when you're trying to protect an identity. People really do notice such things when you're handing over a charge card. They simply choose the person they plan to be at a given con, depending on what book is coming out, and then use the cards as necessary. It's also an awesome tool when preparing taxes to split out which alter-ego spent what during the year for promo and such.

ohheyyrach77 said:

I've been back and forth with this too.
Because I'm writing about a more controversial subject and also because I plan to write in multiple genres I think I will probably use a pen name.

But I also want to see my name in print too! Bragging rights!

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Many, many writers want to see their names on a cover, and rightfully so. I did. Go for it. The pseudonyms can come later.

Pasted in below is a sentence from a post made earlier today in another writers' forum.

Read this and then decide whether or not you want to protect your privacy by using a pen-name ...

a crazy fan put a bomb in my house, because I wouldn't leave my husband and marry him

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There are some strange people out there, wouldn't you say?

Do what feels best for you. Cliche, I know. Honestly, it's your work and you label it as you please. As for myself, I think I'll use a pen name whenever I change my genres to keep people on their toes.