This is a discussion on "Real Name or Pen Name" in the Publishing forum.
I write under an anagrammatic pen name based on my birth-name. I think there are some names that have a literary feel, and mine does not. Pseudonyms are extremely common for artists and the choice should be up to you, but choose wisely as you won't have much opportunity to change it.
I tend to agree with you about female writers and male readers.Originally Posted by MAndreas
Howdy- I'd say it depends on what market you're writing for, and what your real name is. Jane Smith- probably want to use a different name. Female writing a book aimed primarily at male readers (or visa versa) I'd same use intials- or a different name.
I write under my real name, but if I switched genres I might pick a different name for the other genre. Although that can back fire as it diffuses your whole "brand" ...which is another issue.
Pretty much it's your call.
Marie
That is why I intend to use the unisex version of my real name.
However, the same case could be made for people whom hail from far flung places along the globe. People with "ethnic" names don't seem to do as well as people with regular sounding names. (at least not at first)
Which means I will revert to my maiden which is stupid easy the world over
"Fly, fly, baby don't cry. No need to worry cause everybody will die. Every day we just go, go, baby don't go. Don't you worry we love you more than you know."AWOLNATION
If I ever get published it will hopefully be with my initials and my maiden name, which is easily pronounced rather than my married name which has 11 letters, 4 syllables and a bunch of odd consonants beside each other. I see the point about branding for sure. If I were writing romance novels I suppose I would pick a very simple, feminine name because that is just what comes to mind with the genre (but of course I write fantasy adventure, so here I am.)
I've been gravitating toward using my initials and last name; it seems easier than trying to come up with a pen name. My writing isn't specifically aimed at either gender, but as others have said, there's a trend showing that female authors who hide their names tend to get a larger male following as well as female.
Okay to be honest, I don't particularly seek out female authors... sorry, but true. I read historical romance, and would expect flowery old-lady names there, but if I were looking for fantasy.... I would probably not choose a book with a similar author name. That being said, I don't believe there is any difference between a man's ability and a woman's ability to write a story. I think that the men who do it are generally very good, though I believe truly women in general have an advantage when creating artistically. Overall, I have loved most books I have read by both men and women, and I believe the ones I didn't like had similar shortcomings for me.
I think that different types of books ought to have different sorts of author's names.... like they ought to have different cover art. We could get all into gender differences here, but there is no one even line where men all fall on this side and women all fall on that side. I feel like I straddle that line (In real life, not in my writing) as much as any one person can, actually; but, if I were publishing a book aimed at male readers, I would use a pen name (probably initials). And if I were writing aimed at female readers, I'd use another, and for young readers, I'd probably use another.
Who the hell uses a pseudonym anymore? Besides graffiti artists. I know Lemony Snickett is Danny Handler's alter ego, but he never "hid" from that fact. I just don't personally see the point if it anymore.
Many, many, many, many authors do. You only have to look.
It is however a personal choice to use one, and if you don't see a need for it with your personal and professional lives then that's fine
Sometimes you don't 'have a choice', if the publisher really insists you publish under a different name. Matthew Green's real name is Matthew Dicks. My friend (not that he wants to be an author) has the last name of Horni.
It could be that your name means your books will be shelved in a bottom corner and won't be seen as much. it could be that your name is too hard to spell correctly or remember, which limits the chance of someone finding you on google before they get bored.
Sometimes it's just not really your choice. You could tell the publisher to get stuffed, but then they - and others - may not be as eager to publish you if they think the name will greatly reduce the amount it sells.
·Katharine
"Aren't ordinary people adooorable. Well, you know, you've got John. I should get myself a live-in one. It'd be so funny."
Yeah, lots of authors still use them. A few will modify their actual name (Wen Spencer instead of Wendy Spencer, because it sounds less feminine). But a lot of them still use completely invented pseudonyms. I know an author who got a book contract last year who came up with an entirely fictitious name. The publisher was even involved in helping come up with it, if I'm not mistaken.Many, many, many, many authors do. You only have to look.
It is however a personal choice to use one, and if you don't see a need for it with your personal and professional lives then that's fine
"With age came wisdom. Sometimes wisdom came with an ass kicking, too. And nothing could kick ass like the whole world." -The character "Horn" ruminating on his circumstances. The Decaying Mansions of Memory, by Jay Lake.
You, too, can get a copy of Lorelei and the Lost and Found Monster from Amazon.com.
I'm far more worried about the quality of the writing than I am about what name I publish under. Plenty of authors with bizarre names have gone on to be extremely successful (Tolkien, Roald Dahl, Nabakov (especially when pronounced correctly) and Daschiel Hammett spring to mind) and authors with absolutely electric names have been less than stellar.
If your work is good it will stand on its own, whatever name you publish under. If you do feel the need of a pen name, I at least hope that some thought it put into it other than 'this sounds masculine' or 'this is a better fit for my genre.' The origin story of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson using Lewis Carroll springs to mind as a 'good' reason to use a pen name.
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