Should I have multiple pen names?

It isn’t TERRIBLE to have multiple pen names (more on that below), but if you can keep things easy, DO. If you’re writing books that are related or might have a larger crossover audience, then don’t do a pen name. An example might be writing clean romance and clean romantic suspense.

What are the benefits to a pen name?

4 Advantages to Using a Pen Name

• Avoiding Negative Feedback. This may be the one that many think of.
• Creating a Persona. Apart from just being a defensive manoeuvre, using a pen name can produce a positive effect.
• Different Names for Different Styles.
• Anonymity.

Why do authors use multiple pen names?

In the 20th century, an author would usually use a different pen name for a different genre or even a different series. They also often needed pen names because they wrote “too fast” for traditional publishing. (In those days, they were only allowed one book a year under most contracts.)

Why do some authors use multiple pen names?

There are many authors who write under one pen name (only) for privacy reasons. While publishers throttled authors to one book a year (and perhaps a couple more for the popular genres like romance), prolific authors would write under many names, with different publishers, and publish as many titles as they could write.

Can you self publish under a pen name?

Yes, authors can self-publish using their pen name or nom de plume. If you’re self-publishing a book, you can definitely use a pseudonym when writing and publishing your book. In fact, many indie authors use a pseudonym or nom de plume when they publish books in several different genres.

Should authors use pen names?

As a general rule, most authors should publish under their legal, given name. If an author has written an exposé and must remain anonymous for professional reasons, a pen name is quite understandable. Otherwise critics tend to regard a pen name as an affectation and anachronistic. It also makes promotion difficult.

Should you use a pen name for your book?

Unfortunately, it’s my professional opinion that in all but the rarest of cases, the “con” of using a pen name far outweighs the pros. No, that’s not a typo—I wrote “con” instead of “cons” on purpose. Because there is really only one con to using a nom de plume, but it’s a heckuva big one if you want people to buy, and then read, your book:

Do any authors use pseudonyms in their books?

They are among the many writers who use pseudonyms or pen names in their books. Clemens writes under the name Mark Twain; Dodgson is Lewis Carroll; and Roberts uses Nora Roberts when writing romance novels and J.D. Robb when writing suspense. Using a pen name is legal when writing a book.

What are some examples of female authors with pen names?

Moreover, some famous female authors have opted for a pen name to hide their gender, in order to be taken more seriously. Examples include George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), Currer and Ellis Bell (Charlotte and Emily Brontë), and James Tiptree Jr. (Alice Bradley Sheldon).