Pen Names?

St Valamir · 05-04-2011, 09:09 PM

I have been pondering something for as long as I have been writing, that being my own name.

I have a pretty wild last name, and is complicated even for a Polish surname.

What do you all think of pen names? I can think of pros and cons, but I am still left on the fence in the end.

apbschmitz · 05-04-2011, 09:36 PM

Well, I guess it worked for Mark Twain. But there's always the drama of renouncing the family name. Especially if fame is right around the corner.

TrineDaely · 05-04-2011, 10:00 PM

I use one because I like my privacy. My married (divorced) name is too common, my maiden name is too uncommon.

caleb72 · 05-05-2011, 03:45 AM

I have put a couple of poems out there and I've put out some music here and there and I use a different name.

It doesn't suit me to use my real name - so I don't.

Regards
Caleb

dadioflex · 05-05-2011, 04:00 AM

I'm a big fan of the simple but unique pen name. Helps with everything from branding to Google searches.

mr ploppy · 05-05-2011, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by apbschmitz

Well, I guess it worked for Mark Twain. But there's always the drama of renouncing the family name. Especially if fame is right around the corner.

With Sleb Culture being what it is, would you really want to put your family through that?

Penforhire · 05-05-2011, 01:03 PM

They make sense to me only if you have a following already and don't want your new work somehow tainted by your old (or vice versa). Fans have expectations and preconceptions.

crich70 · 05-06-2011, 04:35 AM

There are some good reasons for using pen names. If you have multiple books out at the same time, if you write in a genre you don't want others to know you write in (like erotica for example) because it might cause problems, if your name is hard to pronounce or too common as some have said, and certainly for privacy. These days anyone can end up with a stalker and using a pen name to hide yourself in plain sight might help prevent that. I'm sure there are other reasons, but those are the ones that occur to me off the top of my head.

G J Lau · 05-06-2011, 09:07 PM

I chose a pen name that was simpler than my given name to make it easier for readers to associate a name with the book. Also for privacy. The latter is, of course, an illusion in this day and age. Anyone really interested could figure it out pretty quickly, but a thin disguise is sometimes better than none at all.

Todd Young · 05-06-2011, 11:11 PM

I write under three different pen names, one for each genre. I wouldn't use my own name at this stage in my career, because their might come a time when I feel I've written something I want to be known for - and then I won't want all of those old novels messing up my career.

05-04-2011, 09:09 PM	#1
St Valamir Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 74 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Michigan. Device: iPad	Pen Names? I have been pondering something for as long as I have been writing, that being my own name. I have a pretty wild last name, and is complicated even for a Polish surname. What do you all think of pen names? I can think of pros and cons, but I am still left on the fence in the end.

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05-04-2011, 09:36 PM	#2
apbschmitz Lord of Frogtown Posts: 149 Karma: 1154748 Join Date: May 2011 Location: St. Paul MN Device: Kindle	Well, I guess it worked for Mark Twain. But there's always the drama of renouncing the family name. Especially if fame is right around the corner.

05-04-2011, 10:00 PM	#3
TrineDaely Connoisseur Posts: 54 Karma: 601022 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: Kindle 3	I use one because I like my privacy. My married (divorced) name is too common, my maiden name is too uncommon.

05-05-2011, 03:45 AM	#4
caleb72 Indie Advocate Posts: 2,863 Karma: 18794463 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Kindle	I have put a couple of poems out there and I've put out some music here and there and I use a different name. It doesn't suit me to use my real name - so I don't. Regards Caleb

05-05-2011, 04:00 AM	#5
dadioflex Dyslexic Count Posts: 526 Karma: 5041991 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Palm TX, Advent Vega, iPad, iPod Touch, Kindle	I'm a big fan of the simple but unique pen name. Helps with everything from branding to Google searches.

05-05-2011, 01:03 PM	#7
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	They make sense to me only if you have a following already and don't want your new work somehow tainted by your old (or vice versa). Fans have expectations and preconceptions.

05-06-2011, 04:35 AM	#8
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,310 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	There are some good reasons for using pen names. If you have multiple books out at the same time, if you write in a genre you don't want others to know you write in (like erotica for example) because it might cause problems, if your name is hard to pronounce or too common as some have said, and certainly for privacy. These days anyone can end up with a stalker and using a pen name to hide yourself in plain sight might help prevent that. I'm sure there are other reasons, but those are the ones that occur to me off the top of my head.

05-06-2011, 09:07 PM	#9
G J Lau Zealot Posts: 126 Karma: 415116 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Frederick MD Device: Nook	I chose a pen name that was simpler than my given name to make it easier for readers to associate a name with the book. Also for privacy. The latter is, of course, an illusion in this day and age. Anyone really interested could figure it out pretty quickly, but a thin disguise is sometimes better than none at all.

05-06-2011, 11:11 PM	#10
Todd Young Addict Posts: 243 Karma: 1004164 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Kindle 2	I write under three different pen names, one for each genre. I wouldn't use my own name at this stage in my career, because their might come a time when I feel I've written something I want to be known for - and then I won't want all of those old novels messing up my career.