Some of the most recognizable author names in western literature were made up. Lewis Carroll, George Eliot, George Sand, and Maya Angelou—these were the invented personas of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, Mary Ann Evans, Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil, and Marguerite Annie Johnson, respectively. Each of them had their own reasons for writing under a nom de plume, and you probably have a few of your own!
If you’re trying to decide whether or not to take on a pen name, consider these pros and cons before you commit.
The Pros
Privacy (or, The Bright Side of Anonymity)
I imagine this to be one of the most popular reasons! It’s unfortunate, but not everyone has accepted that it takes all kinds to make the world go ‘round. If your writing life must remain separate from your personal and/or professional lives, of course you should consider a pen name. It would be a shame to hold yourself back because of what other people would think, do, or say if they read what you wrote or what you really think.
Avoid Bias
In a similar vein, you might want to write under a pseudonym to avoid bias. The Brontë sisters publishing as the Bell brothers is the most famous example of this, but there are undoubtedly many who write using their initials in place of their first name to keep their gender or other traits from confusing or deterring readers. It’s is a perfectly valid way to protect your artistic integrity.
Straightforward Spelling and Pronunciation
My first name has innumerable spellings and at least three pronunciations. My last name is very common, but it throws off everyone who did not grow up around Spanish speakers. No matter how “easy” your name is to spell and pronounce to you and your loved ones, there will always be those who struggle with it. It’s not anyone’s fault, and don’t misunderstand, I love my name—it’s just the nature of living in such a diverse world. Diversity is a beautiful thing we should absolutely cherish and celebrate, but every rose has its thorn!
If me describing my name tribulations gave you flashbacks, you might consider a pen name to make yourself easier to google. In this day and age, you need to be searchable, and it helps if your pen name is easy to spell for native speakers of the language you publish in.
(That being said, if you choose to keep your given name regardless, more power to you!)
Simpler to Brand
What’s great about pen names is that emotional separation, allowing you to think more like a business owner if and when the time comes for you to consider marketing. You might not truly be in love with the warm white of parchment or the deep mahogany of the oldest desk at the university library, but the pen name that writes dark-academia-coded historical fiction would probably be all over that color palette. (Click here for more about choosing a color palette for your author brand!)
Branding isn’t just choosing color palettes, either. There’s also the imagery, voice, tone, and so much more. It can be hard to fit your whole self into a brand, but a pen name that represents a fraction of your brain? Much easier!
Easy to Let Go
This is another reason that emotional separation that comes with a pen name can be so valuable. To give you another personal anecdote, I’ve run into a problem with my World’s Fair romances in that they don’t feel like Megan Fuentes anymore because I’ve grown and changed as a writer. I’m still working on my response to that change in my thinking, but it’s probably going to involve me either changing the names on those books or taking them down, so I can free up my given name for future pursuits that do feel like me.
This will be a painful process, and that’s why I’m giving you this warning: Even if all you do is add an initial or swap your first and middle name around, a pen name can make letting your past selves go a little less painful.
The Cons
Emotional Separation
On the flip side of that “easy to let go” coin, a pen name can create some emotional separation between you and your words. I could not imagine our founder Racquel Henry writing holiday romances under a pen name, for example. Holiday romances are just so her, and you can feel that when she talks about them. It’s that authenticity that helps sell books! And being authentic to you will also help you sell books, and some authors might find that easier if their legal name is the one emblazoned on the book cover.
Additional Profiles
Some form of social media will probably play into your marketing strategy. If you write under a pen name or multiple pen names, you could find yourself with a lot of passwords to keep track of across several accounts! A virtual assistant can make managing your online personas easier, but if that’s not in the budget now, you’re looking at needing to be very, very strict with your time management, or being strategic with which platforms you choose to engage with.
Important to note: not every platform allows you to have multiple accounts per their terms of service, so be sure to give that a read-through! Facebook is notorious for being painful to navigate as someone who uses a pseudonym, and I’ve heard more than one horror story of authors scrambling because Facebook demanded they verify their identity.
Legal & Financial Complications
You need the right name before you sign your name to any contracts, of course!
You’ll also need to take the proper steps to make sure the money you make from your pen name goes through the proper channels to reach you. Keeping things above board is essential, so you don’t wind up in big legal trouble later. Refer to your local government’s rules and regulations regarding taxes, et cetera.
The Trouble with Anonymity
If you intend to never reveal your name and/or face to the world, you should consider how anonymity can limit your options for interacting with not just your audience, but your peers. For example, how would you show up as your pen name at conferences and workshops? Or would you be willing to forego those?
So, is using a pen name right for you?
Just like any other author (or public figure, for that matter), there are risks to putting your name out there. In this day and age, true anonymity cannot be guaranteed, but I hope this pro/con list helped you pick the path that’s right for you and your writing career. If you want to chat about it, feel free to do so within our free online community!
