Pen Names. Its never simple.
Some of the most well-known, famous authors have used a pen name to conceal their identities. Some use a completely different name. Others resort to using initials or reversing their first and middle names. Some change the sex of their name to fit certain genres and others adopt an androgynous name that works for everything. Whatever the reason, it’s not an unusual practice among authors.
But why?
A pen name can function as a sort of shield, allowing the author to conceal his or her identity. A pen name can also serve as a means to better connect with the readers. It can serve to separate you from the pack.
Many authors wish to publish under their legal, given name, and there is certainly nothing wrong with doing so. You might wish to capitalize on your expertise in the field you are writing in, take advantage of some prior fame or family relation, or simply wish the world to know you for you.
But there are several reasons where a pen name might be more beneficial, both to their privacy and their career.
Same name – If the author has the unfortunate luck of having the same name as an already successful author, actress, politician, or other famous person, good or bad, a pen name becomes almost a necessity.
Sex- The authors sex in relation to the genre they write in is a factor. While it shouldn’t matter, for some reason readers assign an expected sex to the genres they read. Most authors of romance for instance are female, while the thriller genre is dominated by males. Readers might be hesitant to step outside those norms and try a new author in the genre they like to read if the sex of the author is different from what they are accustomed to. A pen name can help remove any pre-conceived notions, internal or external, and allow the author to write freely in the genre of his or her choice.
Complicated name- Some authors have names that are long, hard to spell, difficult to pronounce, hard to remember, boring, plain, antiquated, or a combination of all of these. Actors in particular choose their stage names with all of these things in mind. The author has the added burden of their name having to fit well onto the cover and spine of a book.
Avoiding overexposure – Sometimes a pen name is employed to avoid overuse. For example, let’s say an author publishes numerous pieces in a magazine, or they are very prolific and write faster than their audience can keep up. Rather than have their name listed each time they publish; the editor will use a pen name for some of the pieces to avoid overexposing the author to the readers.
Cross-genres – An author might use a pen name when writing in multiple genres in an effort to differentiate their work to their fan base. Your favorite author might write intense political thrillers as well as science fiction. A pen name for each genre would be an easy way for his fans to keep their works apart.
Legal issues and Safety- An author may have relatives that don’t wish to share his fame. Or they may be a private person and not want their personal life infiltrated by their fans. They may use a pen name to protect their children from the fallout of having a famous parent. They may write about subjects that are controversial and not wish their home or place of work to be easily found via the internet. Keep in mind that while you may not be famous today, you never know how that will change in the years to come.
Subject matter- An author’s real-world existence may be far removed from what they chose to write about. Politics, erotica, and religion are three examples of topics authors may not wish their friends and family to know they write about. A pen name is an easy solution to this issue.
There is no right or wrong reason for using a pen name. It is essentially a personal decision the author needs to make long before it is time to publish their book. And it’s not as easy as picking a name out of thin air. There is much research to be done first.
So chose wisely.