Real Name or Pen Name

[The Din]

Just curious, are there many authors out there that just use a single name? (ie: Cher, Brom.) I have a pretty unique first name that might work well. Wondering if it would come off pretentious/ridiculous?

[JCFarnham]

Just curious, are there many authors out there that just use a single name? (ie: Cher, Brom.) I have a pretty unique first name that might work well. Wondering if it would come off pretentious/ridiculous?

Interesting idea indeed, but would it look like the name of an author or part of the title? It's important to have that distinction.

[JBryden88]

If I have any say I'll use my real name. My surname after all is of Lowland Scot origin, and ironically, the cultures in my fantasy are loosely based off of gaelic/celtic cultures

[Benjamin Clayborne]

Just curious, are there many authors out there that just use a single name? (ie: Cher, Brom.) I have a pretty unique first name that might work well. Wondering if it would come off pretentious/ridiculous?

I don't think single-named authors are very common. It would probably sound pretentious or dilletante-ish no matter how interesting the name is. At least, that'd be my reaction upon seeing a fantasy novel written by someone with a single name. I'd probably avoid it just out of instinct.

[Steerpike]

A single name does seem unusual and people might see it as gimmicky.

As for a regular pen name, I don't think there is much reason not to use one if you prefer it. If your book is published and on the shelf somewhere, readers seeing your name aren't going to know your real name from your pen name unless they happen to know you personally. The only thing that really matters is that they will come to associate their like or dislike of your work with whatever name you are using, and in that regard both a pen name and real name will serve equally well. I can think of a few reasons why you would want to use a pen name, but not many good reasons not to use one other than your own personal dislike of doing so, which is fine. But from the standpoint of establishing yourself as an author, a pen name can work just as well as your real name, and in some cases better.

[Devor]

A single name does seem unusual and people might see it as gimmicky.

Sometimes gimmicks will work even if people see through them. I've been tempted to just use "Devor" as a pen name, but only so far as to consider it and realize it's a bad idea. In their best light, I think obvious gimmicks come across as a little deva-ish, and thus, might be great if "deva" is part of your brand. I don't want it to be part of mine. Devor, not Deva.

Still, Mr. Din, your real first name is not a gimmick, and there's nothing wrong with highlighting it. What are your initials? Could you try Din K. A. - ?

[Legendary Sidekick]

Speaking of gimmicky, does anyone really have a double R as their middle initials?

And would anyone believe me if I said my fully-middle-initialed name is John M.X.L.X. Haley? (Maybe they would, but that mess sure won't sell any books!)

[The Blue Lotus]

Wow Sidekick that is a mouth full.

Could be worse however, I once knew someone with the Initials P.O.O

[Ireth]

Speaking of gimmicky, does anyone really have a double R as their middle initials?

J.R.R. Tolkien was actually John Ronald Reuel Tolkien... though I'm not sure if any other authors with double-R middle names are just imitators of him or what, so that may or may not count. ^^;

[Ghost]

I'm going to legally change my name at some point because I never liked my first name. I may change it again if I get married. I also want to keep my writing life and personal life separate, especially given the content. It just seems simpler to have a pseudonym than to worry about all that.

I narrowed it down to three pen names. The main contender sounds like an old lady's name, but it's easy to spell and pronounce. It easily fits both the horror and fantasy genres, and I could find no fiction authors who even share last name, which is a plus when it comes to branding.

I'm using an obviously female name. I don't write YA, so I don't have to worry about scaring the boys away. Adults who'd judge the content of my stories by my gender aren't my target audience. Most of my favorite female authors don't hide their gender, either.

I don't think people will judge you harshly for using a pen name, Vanya, especially if it sounds like a real name. It can take people a while to catch on that it's even a pen name.

Speaking of gimmicky, does anyone really have a double R as their middle initials?

The R.R. in George R. R. Martin is "Raymond Richard" or something like that. There's another George Martin, I think, involved in the music industry. Fantasy Martin was in the TV industry for a while, so he might've done it to separate himself from the other George Martin(s). It's not exactly a unique name. I don't know anyone besides Tolkien and Martin that have the double R.