Writing a book using pseudonym

After harry potter, the author chose crime fiction for her next books, a genre she has always loved as a reader. If youre selfpublishing a book, you can definitely use a pseudonym when writing and publishing your book. Many aliases or pseudonyms are used by writers who do not want their actual names published on a book. One may want to create a good name using their own names by simplifying it. There are some reasons why writers may choose to use a pseudonym. Like brand names, they are designed to be catchy, memorable and suited to the genre. Actors and artists often use fictitious names, and writers sometimes choose to create under a different persona as well. What if youre not brave enough to publish a memoir. For example, robert silverberg and randall garrett collaborated under the name robert randall.

Pen name generator choose from over a million pen names. Or perhaps the topic matter is too far removed from what their loyal readers expect from authors they have read. What id like to do this week is to focus on a businessrelated writing topic. He was born stanley lieber, but you might know him better as stan lee, the legendary comic book writer who invented superheroes like spiderman, the hulk, the xmen and.

It can slow down the process of revealing your identity. Why do some writers choose to write under a pen name. Nov 17, 20 if i take a pseudonym, it will be george, believe me. I also have a few neutral reasons that are a bit sticky, like.

Often, collaborative authors will invent a pseudonym to convey the impression that a book was written by a single author. Nowadays, authors dont really have to use a pen name like many authors throughout history had to. How do writers keep their pseudonyms when getting paid. I would like some feedback on my reasons for a pseudonym. Return to the business of writing printmobilefriendly version. This may occur when someone is ghostwriting a book or play, or in. May 20, 2008 hello, im from latinamerica and i been using the same penname to write since 1998. This article has over 67,360 views and 90% of readers. An alias, or pseudonym, is a fictitious name someone uses to cover up their true identity.

I think one of the most debilitating things about writing a technical book, or a professional book, is that people will always research your background first and base a judgement solely on their agreement or disagreement with your history in business. Jul 01, 2014 using a pseudonym can be freeing, she said. Mar 29, 2019 wikihow is a wiki, similar to wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are cowritten by multiple authors. A fake name is a weak and often temporary privacy protection. You should also search online to make sure your pseudonym hasnt already been taken. Others feel their name is too common or that their name is too close or exactly the same as an already established writer andor celebrity. Sometimes authors use a pseudonym that is easier to spell and remember. This also works the other way, and there are men writing as women in the romance genre. Aug 16, 2017 memoirs can take on many forms, but at the heart of a readable memoir is honest and genuine writing. Writing stack exchange is a question and answer site for the craft of professional writing, including fiction, nonfiction, technical, scholarly, and commercial writing. If you cant find a pseudonym you like using your real name, try something unrelated that you like the sound of. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. How wellknown are you 2 unless your pseudonym is the opposite sex from you, just sign with your pseudonym.

Jan 14, 2020 however, there are other good reasons for using a pseudonym than just competing bylines or genres. If youre writing books that are related or might have a larger crossover audience, then dont do a pen name. It was familiar, and it kept my work and private lives. Using different author names or a pseudonym as a writer the. Regardless of how you choose to spell your name on your book cover, whether. If youve decided on using a pen name for selfpublishing your book, reasons why you shouldnt use a pen name. If the authors name is hard to remember or is unusual. Many writers use pen namesbut theres a right way and a wrong way to publish your book, stories, poems, or essays under a pseudonym. As a means of protecting privacy a pseudonym is a speed bump not a barricade.

She wanted to write a contemporary whodunit, with a credible back story. Author cj lyons uses a pseudonym because when she started writing thriller novels she was also a pediatrician, and didnt want her patients knowing about her alter ego. For articles, short stories, and poetry, you can simply put your real name in the upper left corner of your manuscript or on the cover page, and list your pen name as your byline beneath the title. I could reinvent myself all over again if i decided to try a completely different genre, for instance. Ive fantasized about using an alias, but my fantasy mostly entails making a lot. The same can also be true of memoir writers who may want to protect people in the book, particularly political or medical stories where litigation may be more likely.

Aug 05, 2010 yesterday i received a reader question about freelance writers using pseudonyms. These are the same steam level in terms of sexual content which matters to readers, though the audiences might not be a 100% match. Regardless of how you choose to spell your name on your book cover, whether you include your middle name, use an initial or two, or use your nickname, youll need to maintain a presence and promote your work consistently over time using. Given the nature of the topic, i agreed to only refer to the reader as cp. For example, the adventures of tom sawyer lists mark twain as its author. Search on the internet for names to use as your alias or pseudonym. Many writers use pen namesbut theres a right way and a wrong way to publish your book, stories. Below we have profiled 12 women authors, from louisa may alcott to j.

Pseudonyms are especially attractive to fiction writers, whose work inventing people and seeing the world through their eyes requires an. Robert galbraiths cormoran strike series is classic contemporary crime fiction from a master storyteller. Jul 05, 2017 a fake name is a weak and often temporary privacy protection. Or perhaps the topic matter is too far removed from what their. There are a couple of ways you could get paid under a pseudonym. Xgens with hyphenated surnames opt for something short. Jul 10, 2019 using a pseudonym isnt much of an issue if youre prepared to treat it like your real, public name. Rowling, who have written under male pseudonyms, and discussed their. Writing under a pen name is like doing an impersonation of someone doing an impersonation. What are the pros and cons of writing under a pen name.

Often, it is because of a complete change of genre. First, they make me look into a huge book if my pseudonym was there already and it wasnt there, so i proceed to registered the article and the penname. Jay artale, cohost of our beginners selfpublishing salon podcast, looks at the challenges of writing a memoir and shares a selection of articles that offer tips and inspiration to overcome the writing dilemmas that are getting in the way of selfpublishing your own memoir. When it comes to citing an author, cite whatever name is used by the source, whether it be a real name or a pseudonym. This may occur when someone is ghostwriting a book or play, or in parody, or when using a front name, such as by screenwriters blacklisted in hollywood in the 1950s and 1960s. I also have a few neutral reasons that are a bit sticky, like obscuring your gender. In response, we ran three separate writing desk columns on the topic so here are a host of tips on writing under a name other than your own. Jay artale, cohost of our beginners selfpublishing salon podcast, looks. Aug 10, 2016 there are a couple of ways you could get paid under a pseudonym.

A recent letter to the inquiring writer drew a flurry of questions about pseudonyms. Over the weekend, word leaked out that harry potter author j. For writers who are wellknown and popular in a certain genre, pseudonyms can be a good way to enter into a new genre of books without the expectations and prejudgment that their name carries. If you dont want to use the writing as approach, you can simply opt to write. Hello, im from latinamerica and i been using the same penname to write since 1998. Why using a fake name wont keep you anonymous online. If an author is well known for childrens books, perhaps a radical change to a romance writer of erotica. Back in the days when women werent considered bright enough to be serious thinkers and writers, many female authors wrote under male pseudonyms so their work would be taken more seriously. Several famous book writers have written books using pseudonyms during their carriers and it is not a matter of hiding from the police. Yesterday i received a reader question about freelance writers using pseudonyms. Im sure mark twain didnt sign books as samuel clemens. I have always used e j lamprey as my pen name, so when i turned indie it was the automatic choice. If youre not sure, write out a few different options and see how they sit with you before making a decision. Memoirs can take on many forms, but at the heart of a readable memoir is honest and genuine writing.

Aug 20, 20 in this video, entertainment lawyer gordon firemark talks about writing under pseudonyms or pen names. I recently registered one of my journalist articles with my penname in my local office. Moira allen is the editor of, and has written nearly 400 articles, serving as a columnist and regular contributor for such publications as the writer, entrepreneur, writers. Some writers use their real names in writing content while others use pseudonyms. A pseudonym is distinct from an allonym, which is the real name of another person, assumed by the author of a work of art. An example might be writing clean romance and clean romantic suspense. How and when should writers use a pen name or pseudonym. Oct 05, 2016 a lot of famous writers have published their work using pseudonyms or pen names, and the reasons they give for doing so are many. Like brand names, they are designed to be catchy, memorable and suited to the.

In this video, entertainment lawyer gordon firemark talks about writing under pseudonyms or pen names. Using a fake name to misrepresent facts is against the law, but using a fake name to write a fiction book is acceptable. Nov 28, 20 trade publishers are notoriously wary of using the same author name across different genres, or of using a name that they feel is inappropriate for a particular book hence the morphing of joanne rowling into the more masculine j k rowling, even though she doesnt have a middle name. Feb 08, 2018 why do some writers choose to write under a pen name. Rowling is the real author of the cuckoos calling, a crime thriller published under the very british pseudonym. For writers who are wellknown and popular in a certain genre, pseudonyms can be a good way to. I am in the process of transitioning into the freelance writing world, and getting my sea legs. Often, writing under a pseudonym is as easy as putting the phrase writing as on your manuscript. A lot of famous writers have published their work using pseudonyms or pen names, and the reasons they give for doing so are many.