Like brand names, they are designed to be catchy, memorable and suited to the genre. Sep 23, 2016 but at the end of the day, a name is a name. The pros and cons of using a pen name kn literary arts. If you are publishing with kindle direct publishing kdp, using a pen name on amazon is very easy. Generate pen names for yourself or for your fictional characters using our free app. Choosing whether to write novels under a pseudonym is a highly personal, and often emotional, matter.
If you search my pen name, its likely youll find just me. Maybe you want to adopt the last name king, just in case people think youre related to stephen or martin luther. On the flip side, though, taking a pen name for the wrong reasons could hurt you if you dont think carefully and strategically about why youre publishing under a different name. If your name is lacey darling and youre writing a spy thriller, having a cooler name might influence just enough early buyers to make a difference. Pen names and why authors use them writing advice and. Nov 15, 2017 mix play all mix writing with jenna moreci youtube 10 biggest mistakes writers make pt 2 writing edition duration.
Another reason an author might use a pen name is if their real name is the same as an established author writing in the same genre. For instance, john sandford created his pen name, because he already had a novel from another series published under his real name. Jan 14, 2020 click to continue when should a writer use a pen name or pseudonym. No one will associate you with your pen name right away. How to change your author name to a pen name when selfpublishing. Protecting your brand some authors write books in multiple genres and want to keep their books from.
It should include a first name and last name but not a middle name and no middle initials. If you are looking for the popularity that comes with writing bestselling books, pen names may strip you of this opportunity in the early stages of success. Sep 22, 2014 a pen name can serve you well, it can be a great tool to give you more control over your professional options in the publishing world. A pen name may be used to make the authors name more distinctive, to disguise the. Aug 15, 2019 my book is a first person narrative memoir and i too am publishing with a pen name to protect the privacy of the children in my book. I know that an author can use a pen namepseudonym instead of a true name when publishing the traditional way. Jun 19, 2008 in this case, your publisher may suggest a pen name to help boost sales of your new book and break the association with the poorly received book. It is, however, a lot more difficult for advertising, blogging, tweeting, book signings, etc to remain so anonymous. Seven legal myths about pen names sidebar saturdays.
For example, if an authors contract has a noncompete clause or right of first refusal for the next book, that author cannot use a pen name to publish a competing work or publish under a pen name to avoid giving their publisher first crack at the new work. Pseudonym generator randomly generates thousands of names for both male and female. The realisation that if i ever managed to write a novel it would have to be under another name came 12 years ago when i was sitting in the. Feb 08, 2018 why do some writers choose to write under a pen name. I was recently yesterday offered a contract by a publisher, and theres a line on it where it asks me to write my pen name, if applicable. And authors can always selfpublish books between big releases. How to choose a great pen name for selfpublishing your. What was the name of the first street where you lived. In terms of marketing, i have a few nonfiction business books under. Its how you choose to employ that name that matters.
Every time you publish a book, youre putting your name out into the world people will look for you on amazon and other bookselling sites, theyll look on social media sites, and theyll look for an author website being a wellknown writer and having your name instantly recognized might be the ideal for most selfpublished authors. Also, i have dreamed about my name on a book all my life. It could be for marketing purposes or it could just be for their own comfort. Romance writer nora roberts writes erotic thrillers under the pen name j. Many writers use pen namesbut theres a right way and a wrong way to publish your book, stories, poems, or essays under a pseudonym. But regardless of why one chooses to use a pseudonym, creating a pen name can play an important part in your book s marketing. How to create your perfect pen name writer unboxed. Mar 29, 2019 establish accounts under your pen name. Or, if for any reason, youd like to use a completely fictional pen name, go forth. How and when should writers use a pen name or pseudonym. You can search using filters such as the first letter, language, or gender. Check out kirstens other great tips and wonderful podcast at create if writing.
After youve cleared your chosen name and confirmed its available for you to use, go ahead and create an email address under your pen name and reserve the domain. Sep, 2018 as i wrote above, its harder for me to interact with people under a pen name. I know that an author can use a pen name pseudonym instead of a true name when publishing the traditional way. Should you use a different pen name for each genre you write in. For all the writers in the world that have achieved phenomenal success under their pseudonyms, the number of authors that have blundered and misused the anonymity pen names afford them is even greater. It was only after his own death that the book was republished under his real name. Clerk to write about her death in a grief observed.
And bunny fluffington might want to consider a more dramatic pen name if shes writing thrillers. You can use your trademark on all of your work legally. Kickstart your writing career with this pen name generator that boasts over 1 million fake names. After the passing of his wife lewis used the pen name n. Trademark your pen name if you want to identify a body of work such as a book series or screenplays. You may or may not intend to brand your pen name or write more books under it.
I do use a pen name just in case those boring corporate folks i work with discover what i do in my spare time and im very nearly in a chalet in the alps well, ok, a house at the foothills of the alps and on the french rather than the swiss side of the border, but its the principle that counts, right. Pen name generator choose from over a million pen names. Everything authors need to know about pen names create if writing. Oct 25, 2017 using a pen name when writing a book is neither good nor bad. Find out why authors write under pen names and how you can set up a. Writers have adopted pseudonyms or pen names to disguise themselves for a number of reasons. Go to the website for the united states patent and trademark office and use the trademark electronic search system tess to check that the words or name you want to trademark are available. Every time you publish a book, youre putting your name out into the world people will look for you on amazon and other bookselling sites, theyll look on social media sites, and theyll look for an author website. This is done by signing contracts with the publisheragent using the real name corresponding to the pen name. Literary novelists almost never change their names, but at the commercial end of the market authors are doing it with increasing frequency. Pen names have also been used by established authors who want to write in another genre and want to use the pen name to target an entirely different audience. Below are some examples of famous authors with pen names, the real name.
A pen name may be used to make the authors name more distinctive, to disguise the authors gender, to distance the author from their. Mar 29, 2019 writers have adopted pseudonyms or pen names to disguise themselves for a number of reasons. Get the tips to decide if your current author platform will encompass something new or if, and how, you should start a new author platform under a pen name with guest host author kirsten oliphant. What are the pros and cons of writing under a pen name. It is simply a tool that is only as effective as the author exercising it.
In the example above, i believe the journalist wanted to create two bylines. When i was cutting my writers teeth as a journalist and feature writer, i was keen to establish that highly desirable tag, a byline. Maybe youre still embarrassed that your first novel didnt sell and want to start over. Science fiction author robert heinlein used pen names when writing outside the scifi genre. To overcome this sales stigma, an author might bury his name or pen name and give birth to a new pseudonym, hoping for a second chance with publishers and readers. But regardless of why one chooses to use a pseudonym, creating a pen name can play an important part in your books marketing. You can claim a domain name relatively cheaply, even if you dont plan on creating a website for your pen name yet.
Why do authors use pseudonyms surprising authors behind famous pen names key criteria to come up with the. If you feel most comfortable publishing under your real name, go for it. Nov 28, 20 whenever youre deciding on a penname, its always worth googling it to see if anyone else has the name already, or searching on amazon or other bookrelated sites. You can click on the names you like the best and can copy before you leave. Preregistration allows you to sue for infringement while you are still writing your book. If you are an author and will be writing under a pen name this pen name creator should help you out. I used the pen name because i knew i wanted to write better novels under my own.
By using a pen name when writing a book, you are choosing to surrender any credit you might have normally enjoyed for your literary successes. For example, lets say you want to write a serious adult drama, but also have a passion for writing a childrens picture book. A pen name may be used to make the authors name more distinctive, to disguise the authors gender, to distance the author from their other works, to protect the author from retribution for their writings, to combine more than one author into a single author, or for any of a number of reasons related to the marketing or aesthetic. The idea that someone a year younger than me could have written a book seemed incredible. A pen name is whats listed as the authors name on a published book, and readers often do not know the real name or identity of the author. A writer with an audience in romance will choose a different pen name for a dark, dystopian fantasy. People out there know whom to pick a fight with whe. Apr 29, 2020 while benjamin blood is a great name for someone writing murder mysteries, benny may prefer to switch to a softer, less gruesomesounding name if hes writing romance. I also have a few neutral reasons that are a bit sticky, like obscuring your gender. In this blog longtime book editor kelly notaras lays out the. A positive adjective that could be used to describe you a weapon an adjective that could be used to describe the weapon e. Choosing a pen name can be a difficult process for writers. Some authors give themselves a pen name for the purpose of anonymity.
Xgens with hyphenated surnames opt for something short. There are a few reasons why some writers or artists pick pen names. Reedsy pen name generator boasts more than 1 million names. Pros and cons of using a pen name writing a book chatebooks. Anonymity a pen name allows you to write and publish your book anonymously. If you are writing a book in a popular genre, preregistration is something to consider. It also helps to avoid muddying up your also boughts on amazon with the wrong books because of author name overlap. Sometimes if a person becomes famous perhaps they prefer to keep their everday life private and simply use the pen name when writing books and doing a book tour. If you write in multiple genres with little overlap fiction vs. If you are wondering how to choose a pen name and where to get started just browse through some of the pen names. Male names, female names or both, in batches of up to 500.
These poetry volumes were published under the pen name clive hamilton, but failed to garner much attention or acclaim. This kindlebook that is pen name how to create yours by jennifer blanchard lists some of the multiple reasons why a person might want to use a pen name in some of their writngs, ideas for creating a pen name, looking out for signs on what pen name to go with, and more. I dont see where there would be a problem in using pen names. Ive entertained the idea of using a pen name before, but now that it actually matters, i find myself uncertain as to whether or not i want to go with a pen name. You are a successful person in one area and are writing a book in another. On the other hand, if your book is good and people love it, having a name like lacey darling will stand out and help brand you. Why i write under a pen name the writing cooperative. They want to use a pseudonym to remain anonymous and to write in various genres without confusing their readers. For example, if my name was charles dickens of ernest hemingway, i think id change it to something else to avoid confusion, no matter how fond i was of my own name. If a variation on your name would help you stand out from other creators, give it a chance. I didnt sign a noncompete clause or anything, but i want a gap between work and writing.