Using Pseudonyms

Ask Uncle Jim and James A. Ritchie. If I remember correctly they use more than one.

Speaking not from experience, but since I am in a similar situation, I asked this same question of some published authors I've met. So I'm speaking from their experience. Bruce Holland Rogers, in particular, uses several pseudonyms, because he's so prolific.

He told me that the discussion should come up after the agent has accepted you, when you're readying your MS to go to publishers. Your agent will (SHOULD) know when to bring that up with the publisher, etc. Basically, you tell your agent everything and they guide you. If you are going it without agent, then tell the publisher/editor, but again, after acceptance.

Bruce told me that he felt that pseudonyms are important because (as an example) you don't want your fantasy novel sitting next to your Western -- one of those books will die because it'll be in the wrong part of the bookstore so the book's target readers won't see it. There were a lot of other, good reasons, but that one was the easiest to write down here.

If you're doing shorts, etc., that you want to use a pseudonym for, again I believe it's after acceptance but before publication. You let the editor know you'd like to use a pen name but the check comes to your real name. It's so common that it isn't a big deal. However, you will always want to talk to your tax professional, just in case there are IRS nuances you need to be prepared for (a paid-for, political announcement from my CPA, who is also one of my main beta readers -- she loves you all and doesn't want any of you to go to jail with Richard Hatch).