What’s in a Name? When to Use a Pen Name: Guest Post by Sarah Rexman
May 24, 2012 by Lillie
Many famous authors have used pen names. Some even used more than one: Samuel Clemens wrote under his own name, as well as Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, Louis de Conte, and his most famous pseudonym of all, Mark Twain.
Authors may choose to write under an alias for personal reasons or business reasons, and those decisions are often influenced by cultural and marketing dynamics. If you are thinking of using a pen name, consider some of the most common reasons that other authors have chosen to write under a different moniker:
Your Real Name is Too Weird or Common
Is your real name John Smith or something else that is equally common? If you publish under your real name, it may be difficult to stand out and develop your brand. Choosing a pen name will help readers distinguish you from all the other John Smiths, whether they are working as writers or accountants.
Or, on the other hand, is your real name Aparicio Poppocropoulous? If your name is too strange, hard to pronounce, or hard to understand, it will be difficult for readers to remember your name or to find it when they search for your work online.
Your Real Name is Famous
Through some twist of fate or happy coincidence, do you share a name with Angelina Jolie? Or Leonardo DiCaprio? Maybe your parents were big fans of Brad Pitt or George Clooney and decided to name you after them.
If you share a name with a famous person, a pen name can help you to distinguish yourself. That way, when someone sees a book written by “Brad Pitt,” they will make the proper assumption that it is written by THE Brad Pitt instead of becoming disappointed when they find out it is you instead. Don’t let your name get in the way of enjoying your book.
You Want to Protect Your Identity
Even if you start publishing novels or other books, you may not be able to quit your day job. Using a pen name to publish your work can help you to keep your professional endeavors separate – either because you don’t want your boss to think you’ll leave your job once a book sells well, or because you are writing about topics that could be controversial or present a conflict of interest for your job.
On the other hand, you may become wildly successful once you start publishing, quickly earning fame and fortune. If you worry that you won’t be able to handle the scrutiny of fame well, a pen name can help you protect your real identity so that you can fly under the radar when you are out buying groceries or having a meal with your family.
You Write in Multiple Genres
If you write young adult fiction under your real name, it might be advisable to adopt a pen name when you decide to start writing erotica. Or if you write romance stories under your real name, you might decide to choose a pen name when you try your hand at war thrillers.
Your name becomes your brand, and if you want to change your brand significantly by writing in a new genre that differs dramatically from the one in which you are known, using a pen name can help you to distinguish those brands and to ensure that you don’t alienate or confuse readers.
The decision to use a pen name is often a personal one, but it can have ramifications for your brand and your success. Have you used a pen name for your writing? Tell us your reasons in the comments!
About the Author:
Sarah Rexman is the main researcher and writer for BedBugs.org. Her most recent accomplishment includes graduating from Florida State, with a master’s degree in environmental science. Her main focus for the bedbugs site involves answering many questions such as, “what do bed bugs look like?”.
Yes i am totally agreed with you because this is much important part of your business you should choose a “”Pen”" name like that whenever any human wants to search something brand then your name should strike in his/her mind first than other’s name.
So these are the nice tips from where you can learn how to choose best ever Pen name for you.
Sam,
I’m glad you found Sarah’s post helpful.
Didn’t know that Mark Twain is a pen name, shame on me!
Thank you for listing the factors to consider when deciding whether a pen name is necessary.
Jane,
It’s always nice to learn something you didn’t know.
Interesting stuff. Until now, I don’t think I was aware of Samuel Clemens’ other pen names, unless, of course, I’ve forgotten that I knew, in which case, I appreciate the reminder.
Dan,
Good to see you commenting here in your coherent way.
Hi Sarah, first of all thank you for this post. I actually had the question from a reader a couple of days ago about the multiple author names and I can now send him to your post.
Also I am surprised to find that Mark Twain wasn’t his real name.
– Well I guess we learn something every day.
Thanks
Mikael
Mikael,
Seems a lot of people didn’t know Mark Twain was a pen name.
Hi,
This is that kind of point which helps for us lot because when we are writing for multiple categories then “”Pen”" name option will prove good for us and without any doubt it will be help for us in nice ways.
Sam,
Yes, a pen name is often a good idea when writing in different genres to avoid confusing readers.
This is a good guide. It is my ultimate dream to publish my writings and I will more likely consider a Pen Name.
Jane,
Keep me posted when you publish something!
This is very interesting! It makes me want to consider a “Pen” name…
Thank you for the useful tips.
Doris
Doris,
If you ever decide to write about something completely different, a pen name might be good. But for your social work writings, people already know you by your name, and I wouldn’t change that.
The idea of using a “pen name” was a little strange at first when I started writing guest posts for some smaller blogs. But I think it is also interesting what branding implications such name can have if you do it right. I have to admit I’m a geek.
Jack,
There are valid reasons, as Sarah describes, for using a pen name in certain circumstances.
A pen name or business is very necessary and this must be easy and liked by all of audience.
Maja,
As indicated in the post, there are excellent reasons for using a pen name, but many authors prefer to use their own names (as I do).
Kind of makes you wonder how Jordan’s books sales would be affected if she went under another name. How scary would it be to find out she was also, like, Stephanie Meyer…
Rachel,
Once an author becomes famous, their name alone sells books.