Pen Names - do you have one? Do you plan to?

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Calliea

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So I'm wondering, do any of you use/plan to use a pen name in the future? What is that name? How did you come up with it? :)
 

AshleyEpidemic

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I fully intend to use a pen name. However, it is simply a variation of my own name. My first and last names combine into an extremely common name. In fact, current author has it. So I tend to use my middle name instead.
 

orion_mk3

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On my blog, I sling around a lot of invented author names, but I use two pseudonyms in particular. Both are anagrams of my name :)

If I ever have to come up with a "serious" pen name, I plan on combining the names of my two grandfathers with the first name of my paternal grandfather and the last name of my maternal grandfather.
 

Siri Kirpal

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Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

In my case, the question is: Do you have a legal name in additon to the spiritual name you use as a pen name? Yes.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

RobertEvert

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I had a bit of an issue with a stalker a while back...seriously crazy stuff.

So now that I just signed with a publisher :)snoopy:) I decided to use a pen name. The publisher wasn't crazy about the idea. But when I explained what had happened, they were more than willing to agree.
 

Mr Flibble

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My real name is not Francis.

The change? Because I've been pubbed under my own name, in a hugely different genre and, well, it seemed best to avoid confusion. I wanted something gender neutral (sadly, there are still those fantasy - probably other genre too - fans who won't read female authors. I plan to get them to read my stuff and then find out I'm female :evil)

Francis came up because it's a family name. I'm getting used to being two people. It's kinda fun actually.
 

heza

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I thought a long time about whether I should have a pen name... but we finally just decided I should use my first and middle initial and my last name... which, I suppose if I get married this year, won't be my last name anymore. If I'm published, I guess it'll be under my maiden name--does that count as a pen name?
 

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Random Botox is a name I'd like to use. Either that or Fallen Egg.

In truth I would like to use a pen name, a layer of anonymity appeals. However, I do not know what publishers prefer, or what authors who do use a pen name have experienced and whether they are happy with their choice.

Love to learn some facts from those in the know.
 

LJD

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I have a boring, common first + last name, already used by a self-help writer and Christian writer (one of whom also uses her middle initial--which is the same as mine). There was also a journalist/novelist who used my initials + last name. I rather expect I'd use a pen name, though I think it would be some variation of my real name. And for whatever reason, I like the idea of a pen name, though not to hide my identity.
 

ladyleeona

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I plan on using a pen name because I write in two very different genres with little crossover. (Which is assuming I sell in both...a very big assumption. So fingers crossed.) I want to use my real name for one, and then a derivative first name + an old family name for the other.
 

V1c

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I use a pen name because of stalker reasons like Robert mentioned above. I didn't want to at first, but one antho asked me too when it was a personal story, and when I used my real name I got a death threat sent certified mail. So. . . .yeah.
 

Saoirse

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Mine is a bit weird. Waaaaaaaay back in 2007, I was looking to publish traditionally, and created a pen name, as my maiden name was taken by a bigtime writer. I used my first name + my grandmother's maiden name. (Cool, too, b/c she was a writer too). Anyhoo, fast forward to 2010 when I decided to self-publish two poetry chapbooks. I wanted to distinguish them from my regular fiction (which hadn't yet sold -- but, lacking in foresight, I'd already gotten my website/Twitter/blog under the pen name) so I used my married name.

Well, now I'm considering self-pubbing mostly everything and decided to keep self-pubbing under my married name, thus rendering the pen name useless. (Unless I sell traditionally - then I may resurrect it).

So the answer to that question is yes and no.
 

RedWombat

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The most likely scenario for me cooking up a pen name is if another publisher would like a set of books and I don't want to step on the toes of the nice people publishing my existing series and, y'know, dilute the brand as they say.

Hasn't happened yet, but if it does, I am so totally gonna be an Ingrid. No one is ever an Ingrid.
 

Richard Paolinelli

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I am thinking about creating one. I am writing both mysteries and sci-fi. I figure I'll use my name for whichever one sells first and see if my agent and publisher think it would be wise to use a pen name for the other genre.

If I do, I will use an anagram of my favorite writer.
 

Beachgirl

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I do use a pen name. I picked the last name because it's very similar to my real last name and I figured it would be easy to remember that way. My first name? Well, I like the color red.


Okay, so it wasn't the most complicated process in the world...
 

fadeaccompli

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I'm working on a just-for-fun project that I'm sure I can't sell to any reputable publisher. If I decide to self-publish it, I'll probably use a pen name for that, so that it's not attached to anything I sell to a trade publisher later. Other than that, it's not really an issue I've given more than passing thought.
 

FCameron

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I've been published under my real name for non-fiction (research, technical and my freelance travel and garden writing), so unless an agent advises otherwise, I'll keep my real name.

That said, it drives me crazy that people mispronounce my first name! Freda is fred-ah, not Frieda (freed-ah).

My last name (Cameron) isn't my maiden name. It's the last name of my first husband, but my second husband doesn't like his own last name so he told me to keep Cameron! Confused?
 

Springs

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I'm not really sure if I will or not yet. I don't want to, but I also don't plan on reigning myself in when I decide I want to write different genres, so it may or may not end up being a good idea. Additionally, I have these little hopes that I get published before I get married, and if that happens I'm not sure what name I'll use. It could be fun coming up with a name for myself, but at the same time, I really want to see my own name on a real, tangible, official book.
 

Lineykins

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I'm a picture book author (use real name) but hope to break into the YA market in the not-too-distant future. If I'm lucky enough for that to happen, I'll use a pen-name for the novels as the YA stuff I write is rather dark - I don't want to scare my pre-school readers :)
 

P-Jay

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Using one for... some sort of anonymity due to touchy subjects in my YA novel. But I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find out my real name.

My real initials are PJT.
I was thinking my pseudonym would be backwards. TJP. Maybe TJ Phillips or something.
 
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