Let’s discuss some tips for choosing a pseudonym – aka your new pen name!
What is a pen name?
A pen name (or pseudonym) is a name you choose to publish your books under rather than using your real or legal name.
Do I have to use a pen name?
Nope! It’s a choice you make, and we’re going to talk about why you might want a pen name and some things to consider as you’re deciding what name to use.
If they aren’t required, why do people use them?
There are tons of reasons to use a pseudonym, and some of the most common include privacy, branding, and market considerations.
Writing and publishing a book under a different name helps create a force field of privacy around you. If you don’t want your coworkers or clients to know that you’re writing, not using your legal name is the first step in building some layers of protection. Think about a seventh-grade teacher writing spicy romance novels or gruesome horror stories – there could definitely be content in your book that you don’t want your internet-savvy students to find. Or maybe you simply want to keep your writing life separate from your day job.
The pen name will make it harder for readers to find you as well. Most readers are lovely people, but every once in a while, a fan can become overzealous and track down your address to send you a gift. Though it’s a very kind gesture, it can also be a little scary to think about strangers knowing where you live.
From a branding and market perspective, choosing a pen name can help you stand out in your genre. I don’t know if Karin Slaughter is a pseudonym, but I do know it’s a fantastic name for a thriller writer! If there’s another published author with a name similar to yours, even if they write in a completely different genre, it’s a good idea to choose a new one to avoid confusion. Names like Lori Smith versus Laurie Smythe could trip up readers when they are searching online for your titles. Check Amazon, Goodreads, a web search, a domain search (for your new author website) and social media platforms to see if the name you want is available and distinctive so it doesn’t match others, even with a slightly different spelling.
And yes, you can still copyright a book written under a pen name and even trademark the pen name itself in some cases.
Learn more about the US Copyright Office and the USPTO for trademarks.
Okay, so I know I want a pen name…
What should I think about as I choose one?
First, pick a name that isn’t difficult to remember, pronounce or spell. Your goal here is to make it as easy as possible for readers to find you when they are searching for your books.
Ensure it will fit nicely on a book cover. A surname with fifteen letters is too long to fit on the cover and be readable in a thumbnail version, which is the image readers will usually see online at retailers and in a web search.
If the name belongs to someone, be sure to get permission from that person. It’s a beautiful sentiment to include your grandmother’s maiden name or your child’s first name as part of your pseudonym, but using their name without their explicit consent and understanding could lead to ethical concerns.
And it may sound silly, but think about whether you’ll actually answer to this name if someone yells it across a crowded hotel lobby. Will you be able to sign that name a hundred times without thinking while you’re at a book signing event? Because Jessica and Jennifer were popular baby names at the same time in the 70s and 80s, I’ve been called Jennifer my whole life and will answer to it without much hesitation. That would make it a much easier pen name for me to adopt than something like Emily or Rachel. And I can scribble out a J and some squiggly lines for letters while I talk to someone without accidentally using my real signature.
Before making the final decision on your pseudonym, practice signing it to be sure the letters feel comfortable to write.
Remember – when you’re a bestselling author, you’re going to be signing thousands of books, so make sure that pen name is something you like!
Keeping these factors in mind will help you find a pen name that’s a fit for your writing career.