Psuedonym or Real Name?

[mr ploppy]

One advantage of choosing your own name, you can use one that doesn't have any Google hits for random people. Though it might take a while to find one.

[EileenG]

I write porn (sorry, erotica) under my own name. It's actually worked out very well, as there are not too many erotica writers who do use their own name and are willing to do publicity, so I've now got a contract I wouldn't otherwise have got.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by EileenG

I write porn (sorry, erotica) under my own name. It's actually worked out very well, as there are not too many erotica writers who do use their own name and are willing to do publicity, so I've now got a contract I wouldn't otherwise have got.

Good for you! Nice to see people being open about these things.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I can imagine that people who write porn (sorry, we're supposed to call it "erotica" now, aren't we?) might well want to do so under a pen-name.

I would imagine that is a good idea.

Originally Posted by EileenG

I write porn (sorry, erotica) under my own name. It's actually worked out very well, as there are not too many erotica writers who do use their own name and are willing to do publicity, so I've now got a contract I wouldn't otherwise have got.

I am glad that you feel you can! I wonder, have you faced any negative fall out from it?

[xg4bx]

I don't write but nothing make me skip over a book faster than a cornball pen name. If you want me to take your novel seriously, choose something other than Misty Rain or Raven Mourningdove and its ilk.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

I don't write but nothing make me skip over a book faster than a cornball pen name. If you want me to take your novel seriously, choose something other than Misty Rain or Raven Mourningdove and its ilk.

What if that is their real name?

[gmw]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

What if that is their real name?

Then refuse to buy any books written by their parents.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

What if that is their real name?

Their parents should be prosecuted for child cruelty .

[ApK]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Their parents should be prosecuted for child cruelty .

Dweezel...Moon Unit...

[EileenG]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

I am glad that you feel you can! I wonder, have you faced any negative fall out from it?

My mother still hasn't clicked what I write. She was out of the country when the media storm hit and no one mentioned it to her. I'm expecting a lot of megative fall out when she finds out.

So far, only one sniffy literary (ex)friend who exclaimed that she wouldn't write that sort of thing and complaining that it was a pity that every excerpt the papers chose to print was of such poor quality.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

I switched from using my shortened name, Steve Jordan, to Steven Lyle Jordan, because frankly there are too many Steve Jordans around, in every occupation (including a few illegal ones). Using my full name was the best way to distinguish myself from the horde. Considering I write SF, I've gotten smirks, but no outright derision, from those who know I write.

I have since rewritten some of the books to include more explicit sex scenes that I felt uncomfortable about including the first time around; nothing that would quite be considered erotica, but not so occluded as the typical "kiss-kiss, jump to morning" PG-type sex scenes. Because more explicit sex is becoming more common in media, I don't expect any fallout from it... but as my sales happen to be so low now, I can honestly say that the reason I haven't gotten any fallout may be because essentially no one's found it yet...

[Stephen_Melling]

I use my real name. It never occured to me to write under a pen name. Thinking up a pen name would be a lot of fun, I think. I wonder if those who write under a pen name start to see that 'person' as a separate identity.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I can imagine that people who write porn (sorry, we're supposed to call it "erotica" now, aren't we?) might well want to do so under a pen-name.

Actually I've always thought there was a difference between porn and erotica. Porn would be like some of the free adult story sites online and erotica would be things like Fanny Hill and the like. One tells a story along with the sex (Fanny Hill) while the others just jump right to the sex act with little or no storyline added. I suppose if I wanted to use a pen name I could use my middle name and my mother's maiden name, though I wonder how many Richard Anderson's there are out there too. lol.

[crich70]

I've heard that people use a penname for a variety of reasons. They write more books than average and don't want to seem to glut the market with their work, or value their privacy or don't want others to know they write books in this or that genre (not just erotica). Or their name is too commonplace or too hard to spell etc. There is no one reason for such.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by crich70

Actually I've always thought there was a difference between porn and erotica. Porn would be like some of the free adult story sites online and erotica would be things like Fanny Hill and the like. One tells a story along with the sex (Fanny Hill) while the others just jump right to the sex act with little or no storyline added.

I agree. There could be scenes in erotica that if taken out of context would be porn, but in context, even the most explicit scenes could have redeeming qualities that appeal to more than just prurient interests.

Equating erotica with porn is just a prejudice, like claiming all TV is junk.