What is a pen name?
A pen name is an alias used by an author on their novels. If an author didn’t want their real name to be displayed on their novel, they would make one up and that would go in its place.
Why use a pen name?
There are many possible answers to this question, but here’s a few of the most common reasons to use a pen name.
- They don’t like their name, it’s a common name, or it’s too hard for readers to remember. Names like John Smith or Anuhya Bhogineni can be problems because one is extremely common and the other is incredibly difficult to search for if you don’t have the exact spelling.
- Some authors want to distance themselves from previous work. JK Rowling recently did this when she published The Cuckoo’s Calling under the name Robert Galbraith. She said she wanted honest feedback on the writing without people comparing it to Harry Potter.
- Pen names allow an author’s work to be separated. If one author writes in several different genres, they may use several different pen names to keep readers from being confused when they find children’s lit, sci-fi, horror, mysteries, and a cookbook all under the same author.
- Several different authors can work under one name. If you’re familiar with the Warriors books by Erin Hunter, Erin Hunter is actually one pen name used by four different women. Having one on a book cover is much easier for readers than four.
- It separates the author’s real life and private life. An author can be a high school teacher by day and a famed erotica author by night, and by using a pen name, no one would ever know better.
- The author’s real name could be the name of someone who is already famous. If a writer’s name is Kate Perry and she wants to publish a novel, she has to deal with the fact that her name is almost identical to Katy Perry, and that could bring people in on the false premise that the book was written by the celebrity, which isn’t good for the book’s popularity.
Is a penname necessary?
Not at all. If you don’t want to use a penname, you aren’t under any obligation to use one. There are a lot of good reasons to use a pen name, but don’t feel pressured to use one if you’d rather use your real name instead.
How do I create a good pen name?
- Don’t make it too long. George RR Martin is much easier to remember than George Raymond Richard Martin.
- Make it memorable. Mary Jones is an easy-to-spell, simple name, but it might be too simple. Both of the names are extremely common, thus making it easy to forget.
- Look at your genre. Are you writing fantasy? Many fantasy authors are easy to identify by the use of initials in their name like JRR Tolkein. You might want to follow trends like this.
- Make sure it isn’t already in use by someone else. I think this speaks for itself.
- Make sure you like the name. If you’re going to be using this on a novel, a piece of work that you spent months or years on and put a piece of your soul into, make sure you also like everything about it—even the pen name.
Who are some other authors with pen names?
- Joanne Rowling as JK Rowling as Robert Galbraith
- Samuel Clemons as Mark Twain
- Howard Allen O’Brien as Anne Rice as AN Roquelaure
- Eric Arthur Blair as George Orwell
- Stanley Martin Lieber as Stan Lee
- Charles Lutwidge Dodgson as Lewis Carroll
- Francois-Marie Arouet as Voltaire
- Erin Hunter as Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Tui Sutherland, and Victoria Holmes
Of course, there are many, many more authors with pen names out there and this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg.
(For the anon who asked about pen names!)
