Pen Name or No?

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Aerythia

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If anything I write is ever published in any way, I would use a pen name. Simple reason: I'm a science teacher, with the tiny chance that one of my pupils could read something I write, as my preferred genre is YA... it's just not worth being traceable. It would make my job difficult it many ways ;). That's the reason I use my maiden name in work as well, despite being married for a few years - students can't look me up on Facebook! ;)
 

smorrigan

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I'm a way off publishing anything yet but I'm tempted by a pen name. I think it gives you more freedom to write honestly. If I was to publish under my own name I'd be inclined to censor myself with "what if my mum/co-worker/etc reads this?" thoughts which would risk sanitising the work.

Another of my reasons for considering a pen name might sound silly but I used to work in a bookshop and observed people only browsing part way along the alphabet before finding something that sparked their interest. Obviously you can have a best seller if your surname starts with a Z but I'm inclined to think theres a benefit to being in the A-Ms or perhaps choosing a pen name that would put you in the region of a popular author with a style similar to you.

Might be crazy but there you are :)
 

AsTheWorldFallsDown

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I've been debating whether to use a pen name for a long time now. I've used fake names on the internet for years and people on different websites know me as different names so it seems natural I'd pick a pen name. But I feel like there's a difference between the names I use to write fanfiction and blog and the name I will (hopefully) publish under.
Fanfiction and blogging is a hobby I don't really want people in my real life to know about but getting published is an achievement I'd like to share with my friends and family. I feel like if I had a pen name on my books I wouldn't feel like they were really mine, I'd feel like they belonged to my pen name, whoever that may be.
I think I'm going to go with my real name, but I've also been debating whether to go the initial route. My problem there is I have two middle names and my initials spell out L.A.M.B and I'm not sure I want that on my books or not. :Shrug:
 

mselephant2015

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Currently I'm operating under a pen name which is very close to my actual name. I'm of the same two minds; I'd like people to know it is MY work but I also want to keep some of my life mine, if you know what I mean?
 

Girlsgottawrite

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My maiden name is super difficult to pronounce so I can't use it. And my married name is Hispanic, but I'm not, and and for better or worse, I don't want to pretend to be something I'm not. I luckily have two middle names so I'm using my first name, one middle initial and replacing my last name with the second middle name.

Does that even make any sense?
 

JakeSTamer

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I thought about using my real name to actually publish with, I don't really care if people know what I write, (I write erotica, erotic romance). Nobody pronounces my real name corect and I wanted a name people could pronounce and search for easily so I decided to use a pen name. I started writing short stories and putting them on a free story site a few years ago and used the name strangetamer but I wanted something more professional to publish with. My dad's name was Jake and S Tamer is short for strangetamer.
 

jeffschanz

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I initially thought it would be cool to make up a pen-name. Sounded like something cool. Then I thought, "Why?" It makes me a character in some game or play of authorship. Am I interested in being a character? Then I also thought of some time when I would be talking to someone who loves my books, and I would have to convince them that that other-named someone is actually me. They'd want proof, and wouldn't believe me. Seems easier to have the same name. Plus... a lot of authors, even with pen names decide to post their smiling mug on the book jacket. Ain't their name, but is their face. Kinda makes the hiding-from-fame plan useless to me. I'll just be me for now. I kinda want all the pub I can get.
 

Chase

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I write under my first and middle names. For one thing, the pair is short. For another, my real last name is a place-name with some fame in literature and looks made up in order to sound pretentious.
 

jeffschanz

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Chase, that makes some sense I guess. To each, their reasons. Now I'm dying to find out what your last name is. Tease!
My last name is mangled all the time, and it would make sense to change it to something slick sounding, but... I'm just me. If I get roasted, I'll own up. But if I'm successful I want the cred.
 
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