posted
I use my maiden name as my pen name, but since I've used it for 26 of my 27 years of life it farnkly feels more like me than my married name at the moment. I also use it because unlike my married name, which starts with an 'M' and is smack in the middle of browsing whether you start at the front or the back of the alphabet, my maiden name starts with an 'A' and puts me right up front between Adams and Assimov.
There are lots of rationales for using pseudonyms. Mine works for me. I have a sense, though, that if you're not comfortable with a false name then you should not use it. The false name as selected by you should almost feel more like you than your real name, IMO. Take pride in your work and in your name. I don't think that people are going to pick up a book with a certain name and have predisposed expectations based on the name sounding amusing or morbid or antyhing else. The associations come after you're known and they've read enough of your books to see a pattern in the writing.
posted
I have considered using a pseudonym in the past for a few different reasons.
1. I don't really like my name, but I was named for my Grandma and would never legally change my name. Using a pseudonym would be like changing my name without really changing it.
2. Some famous authors write under pseudonyms and well, I want to be famous!
3. There is a certain amount of annonymity in a pseudonym. Again, if I ever become famous, I need a way to hide in the phone book (but my last name is already Smith, so I can't get much more hidden than that now, can I? )
4. Again with the annonymity, I can feel a little freer to write things that I might not if my name appeared on it. Some of the stories I like to write are a little dark and might be thought of as a bit disturbing by members of my family and others who know me. Using a pseudonym means that they don't have to know about or be connected to my writing unless I choose to include them. It's kind of like having a fully cognisant multiple personality
While I haven't used a pseudonym to date, I have published without using my full name. Instead, I use my initials, T.J. Smith.
Historically, it has been difficult and even impossible for women to become published, so many female authors used pseudonyms to hide their sex. While this isn't reaaly a reason anymore, I have considered doing it almost as a way to pay hommage to the tradition of women in writing.
posted
If the problem is that you simply think your name's sound is distracting, what can you do to change the connotations without changing the name itself? I had a childhood friend named April May Snow. I think her parents were a bit cruel. Using that example, you could go by A.M. Snow or something that changes the feel of the name. Also if it is something you don't normally go by, people you know still may not recognize it even if it is your real name. I'm contemplating just going by my middle name and married last name, or maybe my first initial, then middle and last names.
(Or there is always that old gag about your prostitute name: if you were a prostitute your name would be your middle name plus the name of the street you grew up on, or the name of a favorite pet. Mine would be Ann Wesley. Since writing can be considered by some people to be a form of prostitution, maybe that is an appropriate choice for me? )
I really wish I could do that, Christine. My maiden name is the kind that crosses people's eyes. Only one person ever pronounced it right the first time and the only reason that occured was because he had an interest in odd names and he'd gone to school in an area relatively close to the region where my maiden name originated.
I disagree about the name connotation, though. When I see Lemony Snicket, I automatically expect something humorous. L. Snicket, of course, would be a different matter, but Snicket makes me think of snicker and...[shrugs]
quote:Instead, I use my initials
Good points, RH and autumnmuse, but I especially like that one. I may use it.
posted
The prostitute comment made me think of something else.
You could try finding out what your name is in a different language and use the translation. For example, the street I grew up on was St. Andrew's Place.
Combined with the French for my first name, I could be Thérèse St. Andrews. Of course the pronounciation of Thérése has always reminded me of 13 in French so I could even be, Treize Ste. André.
[This message has been edited by Robyn_Hood (edited December 01, 2004).]
posted
> We all use them. Take a look at everyones > UserName! (Well almost everyone)
Good thing you put the caveat in there.
Actually, even though Eric James Stone is my full name, in my non-writing life I generally just go by Eric Stone. Since my normal signature doesn't include the "James," before doing book signings I had to practice a signature with my full name.
So, if you're planning on becoming a famous author using a pseudonym, make sure it's something you can sign easily.
posted
following that prostitute naming thing, i would be Lehi Brock... now that just sounds weird...
haha, actually i was thinking of going by Oi Aitsu once, or a murdering thereof... hehe, if you know Japanese you'll get the joke contained there... if not, i'll tell you.
"Oi" is a sound, it has no meaning in and of itself, but it is used as a "hey wassup"
"Aitsu" is a slang term for a da**ed person... so we end up with "Hey you da**ed person!"
hehe, i have an odd sense of humor
[This message has been edited by dpatridge (edited December 01, 2004).]
posted
Thanks RH and EJS. I hadn't thought of either of those. I especially hadn't considered signing my name over and over. I guess this shows how often I think about fortune and fame.
Funny, dpartridge. If I use a pseudonym, I'm going to try avoiding using anything unpronounceable or even confusing. I went through the first 21 years of my life with a name few could pronounce and I'm not going through it again.
[This message has been edited by Keeley (edited December 01, 2004).]
posted
I have a slightly modified version of my real name for my pseudonym. My real last name, Hanson, is a bit boring. Instead, I switched it with my middle name--lending a bit of cadence.
The only reason I could see for not using a pseudonym was vanity, and frankly, I'm kind of over it. Not saying I'm not vain, simply that I'm over it.
posted
Writers often use pseudonyms as a means to publish outside the genre for which they're well-known, and also as a way to start over from declining or faltering sales. New name, new chance to hit it big.
Posts: 284 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Rahl22, I'm not sure I understand what you mean. It's not about vanity with me. It's about ownership v. connotation.
If I ever manage to get a book published, and I don't see my name on the cover, I'm not sure I'll feel like I wrote it. And if I don't feel like I wrote it, I'm afraid that I won't fight as hard to market it. After all, it's not really my book. It's written by this fictional person I made up, even though everyone (including myself) might associate my face with the name.
MB, thanks for the info. I seem to recall that Stephen King used the name Richard Bachman when he wasn't sure if people were buying the book for itself or because it was written by Stephen King (that's strictly memory so it's probably wrong). I guess that's another reason to use a pseudonym.
posted
Hey Keeley, I was really just personalizing on that. I wasn't saying anything about you.
I had the same instinct. Did I really write it if my name isn't on the cover? I think it's a matter of comfort. You'll probably either come to be ok with it, or you won't. That will be your answer.
posted
I wasn't offended. Just confused. Thanks for clarifying, though. I'll keep your comments in mind, along with the others here, while I make my decision.
Posts: 836 | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
I always laugh at myself when I worry about such silly things.
I haven't sold a story. Not one. Yet, I'm completely concerned about my book-signing signature, my pseudonym, which conferences I'll attend as an author, etc..
posted
You are more than just a string of letters. When I see my Pseudonym on a book I will see myself. (Mine is a variation of my first name then my Pre-Ellis Island family name and the name of the first Race I created alone.)
posted
I HAVE USED A PSEUDONUYM -- once. The very first article I had published years ago, I used a pen name. Joseph Anthony, it was. I used it for two reasons. First, because my last name is very, very odd. And second, I'm not fond of my first name.
(By the way, my name is Jeff Vehige.)
I have not used one since. At one time, I thought about using my UserName -- Balthasar -- as a one-name by-line (like Saki). Then I thought about using a name like Simon Balthasar. But when I came around to sending stuff out, I always put my real name on it.
Why? Because I never felt that first article was really mine. I'll never used a pen name again. I'm resolved that if I ever published a novel, on the blurb about me, I'll have, after my last name, in parentheses, how to pronounce it.
(And by the way, you pronounce it VAY-GEE.)
[This message has been edited by Balthasar (edited December 05, 2004).]
posted
Well, I've decided to use my real name for now. I may change my mind later, but for now, my stuff will be published under my married name, with the first and middle name possibly turned into initials.
Posts: 836 | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
The ever famous Kerry Wayman, here. HMM. That's not bad...
I imagine the main reason I might hide under a pseudonym is the anonymity of which Robyn_Hood spoke.
I went to a conference not long ago. One of the writers there said he'd had to resort to an unlisted phone number. With today's easy access to phone directories around the world, you could be getting calls from crazy fans at all hours of the night and day.
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