Pen Names

I think so. I write as Brindle Chase for my erotic romance... I write under my real name for childrens works... and I have yet another pen name for my non-erotic paranormal works... and I'm debating yet another, when I get around to a sci-fi I've got on my to-do list.. (not sure, might go erotica with it, in which case I'll probably stick with Brindle) *lol*

Part of the reason I have a separate pseudonym for my erotic works, is because I'm just now entering the world as published author and therefore, can't quit my day job. That day job might fire me, for being associated with erotica... so... pen name it is! *lol*

Just one name at the moment, though I published under another some years ago.

The old one was a private joke. My current moniker is a twisting of my name.

Please don't use your mother's maiden name. I don't know how many authors I've seen advertising the answer to a very common security/identity question.

I write romance and erotic romance as Karenna Colcroft; I write YA urban fantasy as Jo Ramsey.

Karenna Colcroft is a pen name. Jo Ramsey is half nickname, half real name. I chose a pen name for the romance stuff because I'd been writing YA since junior high and wanted to keep the two genres separate in the event that I ever became published in both. (Which has now happened, or will have as of January.) I picked Karenna because as a child, my favorite name was Karen, and I added the "-na" to make it sound softer and more romantic. Colcroft was sort of a friend's idea; I couldn't think of a last name, and he said, "I knew someone once whose last name was Cockroft. You should use that." I figured that was a wee bit obvious for someone who wrote erotic content, so I changed it to Colcroft.

jennontheisland said:

Please don't use your mother's maiden name. I don't know how many authors I've seen advertising the answer to a very common security/identity question.

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My mother's maiden name is my surname.

Yes. It's true. I am a bastard.

*RomanceWriter* said:

If you write both mainstream and erotica, do you use two different author names?
Would it be a good idea so not to confuse fans of one type of work?

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For Erotica, Lauren Gallagher. Gallagher is my maiden name, Lauren is just a variation of my first name.

Erotic romance...my real name, Lori A. Witt.

M/M romance...L. A. Witt.

I have a joint website (see my sig) for all three, and make no attempt to hide the fact that they belong to the same person. I just use separate names to differentiate between genres.

ETA: If I end up writing something mainstream, I'll cross that bridge when I get there. For now, all I have sold is romance/erotica, so those are the only names I've worked out.

When I published my book I used my real name, but thinking about it now, it would have been fun to use a pen name as from a porn cover, like Ben Dover, Allotta Fagina, Rock Hard, Mandy Mountains, Aaron Abs etc. I doubt it would have helped my sales, but it would have been very funny Instead I used my real name.

DrZoidberg said:

When I published my book I used my real name, but thinking about it now, it would have been fun to use a pen name as from a porn cover, like Ben Dover, Allotta Fagina, Rock Hard, Mandy Mountains, Aaron Abs etc. I doubt it would have helped my sales, but it would have been very funny Instead I used my real name.

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*lol* reminds me of Nina Bangs... she used that pseudonym when she wrote strictly erotica... but her fanbase grew and she branched out into romance and kept the name.

I use my legal name for my mainstream work (Rhonda A. Marks), but for erotica I'm Neicy McCray. Although I'm not worried about losing income from my "day job", since I work with children I don't think it's a good idea to use one name.