Pen Names: Pros v. Cons

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cptwentworth

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In your opinion what are the pros and cons in disallowing or considering use of pen names? What is the benefit of one or the other? Why would you choose to hide your identity or shout it to the world?

Inquiring minds want to know.
 

caseyquinn

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well "captain wentworth" why did you chose that name instead of your real name? my assumption is that people take pen names for similiar reasons.

seperatation from day to day people and who they are in the writing world
 
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Karen Junker

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I have a couple of pen names I'd consider using, mainly because I write romance and my own name is not very romantic-sounding.

In choosing a pen name, I always look online to see if the domain name is available for the dot com domain. No one looks under dot net or dot us or any of the other extensions, when they're looking for their favorite author's website.

Then I google the name to make sure it's not also being used by someone in the adult entertainment industry or another writer.
 

Kathleen42

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I'm tempted to adopt a pen name because, realistically, I will not make enough from writing to keep my day job and I'd like to keep the two separate.
 

geardrops

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I was at the Penny Arcade Expo this weekend, a huge gaming convention started by two guys who are internet-famous for their comic. Jerry Holkins and Mike Krauhlik, who hide behind the names of Tycho and Gabe.

Someone asked them how they felt about being famous under pen names, if they ever regretted it.

To paraphrase Tycho's response: "I would lose my mind if I was famous under my own name. I can distance myself from Tycho, from all that attention. It would be overwhelming, it would ruin my ability to be creative. It's in large part because I get to feel anonymous that I get to write what I want."

So, I'd say that's pretty good.

Consider that these guys started a convention a few years back and this year it had 65,000 people show up.
 

MissAimee

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To me pen names gives you another identity, something you can play around with and nobody will know the real you.
I'm planning on going under a pen name for my writing due to the fact that I going to be in the education system soon (I'm going to school for education).
 
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I use a pen name because I want a name my mother didn't choose. I want something that's entirely me. Also, as someone pointed out the other day, if you're constantly signing autographs as I plan to be, using your real name leaves you wide-open to signature-based frauds and scams. Therefore, I shall make my fortune under a nom de plume and my birth name will be for all 'official' paperwork.
 

Linda Adams

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One benefit is if you have an ordinary name, a pen name might be one that stands out more. If you run a search for my name, you'll find a lot of people with it because it's pretty common. On the other hand, I have a friend who is an actor. He has an unusual last name, so he always is easy to find in the search engines.
 

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Is it still considered a pen name if you use your middle name as your first name for writing? I've always wondered. Like what the hell is a middle name anyway, legally? If I used my middle one as my first, is that still, I don't know, legitimate? Such as for forms and checks from publishers and so on.

The confusion of a pen name isn't worth it for me, but on the other hand, my first name is dumb, but my middle one is fine.
 

cptwentworth

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I hadn't thought of the angle on being famous with no privacy, which I doubt any of my book-writing could provoke, but one would want to be able to shut one's door at the end of the day and have one's personal life be personal.

Of course some people would like the recognition and want their names out there, and if you're under a pen name, then you're still who you were without the notoriety.

How many pen names does Stephen King have now?

I don't know that I've seen how a query is written when it's under a pen name. Does anyone have a link to somthing like that?
 

AuburnAssassin

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When I look at the copyright info for many of the books I read, I often see a different name. Is this the legal name of the author and therefore a pen name is not much of a veil of privacy if you know where to look? Or is it an agent's/editor's name? Many sure seem close to the "author's" name. Here are some famous romance author's info I found inside the books:

Sabrina Jeffries--> copyright Deborah Gonzales
Loretta Chase--> copyright Loretta Chekani
Tessa Dare--> copyright Eve Ortega
Julia Quinn--> copyright Julie Cotler Pottinger

And here's an odd one:

John Grisham--> copyright Belfrey Holdings (a person's name or a company name?)
 

Claudia Gray

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I publish under a pen name. Here are the pros and cons I've noticed thus far:

CONS:

* When meeting other authors, new people at my publishing house, etc., there's always the whole, "What do I call you?" thing. Easily enough resolved.

* Always have to choose which name to join writers groups/conferences as, and sometimes forget which choice and complicate registration, etc.

PROS:

1) Makes it easier to separate my personal e-mail, facebook, etc. from my professional ones.

2) Gives me flexibility in terms of writing in other genres eventually, if I so choose.

3) Helps with the psychological distancing that can come in very handy after your book is out there in the world -- it's a reminder that people are talking about the writing, not the writer.

4) It's fun!
 

Libbie

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My real last name is obnoxiously hard for some people to pronounce (even though it's just phonetic.) So I use a pen name that's easy to pronounce and works well with my first name. I also like the ability to protect my privacy, assuming I'll some day need that option. ;)

I plan to write in a few very different genres. I am going to use totally different names for those, but that's an organizational thing for me. I won't want to confuse any future fans of my historical fiction with non-historical/mainstream novels. I'd be disappointed if I was looking for another historical title and picked up an author's new book, only to discover it was sci-fi or something I didn't really want to read. (I love sci-fi -- no slams to the genre intended.)
 

Libbie

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Is it still considered a pen name if you use your middle name as your first name for writing? I've always wondered. Like what the hell is a middle name anyway, legally? If I used my middle one as my first, is that still, I don't know, legitimate? Such as for forms and checks from publishers and so on.

The confusion of a pen name isn't worth it for me, but on the other hand, my first name is dumb, but my middle one is fine.

When you submit a manuscript for publication, you need to have your REAL name on the cover sheet anyhow. The name under which you have a bank account, so you can be paid. The name on the cover sheet is the name on the check you receive.

I use my middle name as my first name in all walks of life, because I also dislike my first name. One of these days I'll get around to changing my name legally so I don't have to bother with my dumb first name anymore, but for now, yeah, use your middle name all you want, as long as you've got a bank account to match it. If you don't, then use it as your pen name and put your dumb first name on the cover sheet of your ms. :D

I don't know that I've seen how a query is written when it's under a pen name. Does anyone have a link to somthing like that?

The query really doesn't matter. I query under my pen name, and when I receive requests to read the ms, I have my legal name on the cover sheet, as is proper. I also have the pen name where it goes on the cover sheet. So far, everybody who's corresponded with me about my agent-search has continued to refer to me by my pen name.
 

Bushrat

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I write my weekly column under a pen name because I write about personal topics and wildlife in the area and don't want to advertise in the paper to hunters and poachers where to look for game.
Some magazine articles that are not personal I write under my real name.
 

timewaster

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I've been writing a long time and, trust me, privacy has not yet been an problem. So you're a writer? No one cares.
I have published under two different names though both are sort of mine (married and maiden names) and if I publish in a different genre I would either use a more obvious pen name or another variant on my actual name.
It is a branding issue really. If you get known for one kind of book and there is going to be no overlap in fan base when you write another type of book, you might as well build a new writing identity - a new brand for the new genre. Moreover, unless your sales in your original genre are mega there is no particular reason to carry your epos history into a new genre because you don't want retailers to make purchasing decisions based on irrelevant data.
As a child I wanted to see my name on the cover of a real book and seeing it there still gives me a thrill, which is why I want the name on the cover to have some real connection with me.
 

Thomas_Anderson

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John Grisham--> copyright Belfrey Holdings (a person's name or a company name?)

I don't know about the others, but I looked it up on wikipedia, and John Grisham is definitely the author's real name.

I was at the Penny Arcade Expo this weekend, a huge gaming convention started by two guys who are internet-famous for their comic. Jerry Holkins and Mike Krauhlik, who hide behind the names of Tycho and Gabe.

Someone asked them how they felt about being famous under pen names, if they ever regretted it.

To paraphrase Tycho's response: "I would lose my mind if I was famous under my own name. I can distance myself from Tycho, from all that attention. It would be overwhelming, it would ruin my ability to be creative. It's in large part because I get to feel anonymous that I get to write what I want."

So, I'd say that's pretty good.

Consider that these guys started a convention a few years back and this year it had 65,000 people show up.

How does that work? I mean, you found out their real names easy enough.
 
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