If your name fades into the background, it will be hard for readers to remember you the next time they look for a book. Jan 22, 2021 writers have adopted pseudonyms or pen names to disguise themselves for a number of reasons. Youre in great company now heres how to market your books by frances caballo gives examples of when and why authors have used pen names and explains how writers using pen names can build a brand. Supporting black and poc authors and creators is important, today and every day. As a book marketing expert, i have represented a long list of authors, some of whom have chosen to use pen names. If youre a woman writing action or a man writing fantasy. Jul 21, 2017 ritter is not the first man to deploy a genderneutral pen name. You do not have to have a book, but you do have to have a remarkable product to introduce your business to your customers on a massive scale. Examples of famous pen names theodore seuss geisel aka dr. If your name is lacey darling and youre writing a spy thriller, having a cooler name might influence just enough early buyers to make a difference. Authors usually publish their work under different pen names. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. A pen name allows you to write and publish your book anonymously. The surprising stories behind the pen names of 10 famous authors.
Great literature has shaped our culture for centuries, but do you know which iconic moments and titles come from which authors. However, coming up with pen name ideas, one of which will grace the cover of your book, could be the cause of many sleepless nights. Her novels have been translated into 29 languages, and she has appeared on the new york times bestseller list 19 times. Buzzfeed staff if youre not in the group, pause what youre doing, rewind, join the group, and try again. Sep 20, 2019 many authors decide to write books using pen names, for a variety of reasons. Julie pottinger born julie cotler in 1970, better known by her pen name julia quinn, is a bestselling american historical romance author. When we shop online, we dont realize how many quick snap decisions we make on things. The author s other names may be added in the other author fields. Others have asked me about the wisdom of using a pen name. Decide whether you want to reveal your name to the copyright office. This pen name generator uses every single name in the usa for over 25,345,800 unique combinations. She was one of 50 authors to contribute to first editions, second thoughts, a charity auction for english pen.
Having a pen name can keep ultimate clarity in terms of branding. How to publish anonymously and get paid under a pen name. Choosing a pen name choosing a pen name requires serious thought especially if you plan to use the name for multiple books or over your entire career. Another combined pen name, this is the pseudonym of husband and wife team alexander ahndoril and alexandra coelho ahndoril. Each author hand annotated a firstedition copy of one of their books, in rowlings case, harry potter and the philosophers stone. Stacey abrams has written 8 romance novels under the name. May 28, 2015 well, i guess its a good thing i use my former name for my author page and my pen name and my married name for my personal page.
I like to publish books under pen names if i didnt personally write the book. Buzzfeed staff joyce carol oates wrote lives of the twins and seven other novels under the pen name rosamond smith. Some were short and sweet with just a name, while others had. Dec 03, 2019 theodor ted seuss geisel wrote more than 60 childrens books and became one of the most famous childrens authors of all time. Male authors, thrillers, and ambiguous pen names smart. Authors use pen names for many reasons, whether it be for branding purposes or just for privacy. This would automatically bring together all of your titles on your author page. To avoid embarrassment for his family, he adopted the pen name george orwell a good round english name, he explained to a friend. Gathering this info has helped me avoid repurchasing books. Parenting book authors are parenting books worth it.
So if youre a practicing attorney and dont want your clients or partners to know you write steamy romance novels on the side, youll want to use a pen name. Author joanne rowling adopted the more masculine sounding pen name, j. Some authors write exclusively under their pen name, while others write under both their actual name and their pen name or multiple pen names, in some cases. Even further back than modern literature, authors have adopted pen names.
After being fired from a magazine for drinking during the prohibition, geisel decided to adopt the pseudonym seuss. When you publish a book, you wanted to be memorable. My general response is to advise against a pen name but there are good reasons not to sign a book with your real name. The legit pen name generator creates pen name from the basic question it asks. Sep 12, 2011 yes, one kdp account to manage all of your books. There are many reasons to use a pen name, anonymity for one. Mostly, daniel handler writes his childrens books under the name lemony snicket because snicket is himself a character in the books, adding a delicious, metafictional flavor to the books already pervasive victorian trappings. Then as many author central accounts 3 pen names per account as you have pen names. Seven legal myths about pen names sidebar saturdays. When editing or adding information for a book written by an author with multiple names, enter the author s name as it appears on the front cover as the primary author. Thanks, ive eradicated that typo now djelloul on july 17, 2008. Recently a new author asked me how she should handle autographing her books. Best books written by female authors readers digest. Also author rank is per author, so yes, all authors pen names will have a different rank.
From target to ulta, here are the deals you need to know. Jun 28, 2018 lots of authors have pen names, of course, many more than ive included below, and ive intentionally strayed from many of the most obvious onesif youre reading this space, odds are good that you already know about george sand and george eliot, lewis carroll and o. A pen name is listed as the authors name on a published book, and readers often do not know the real name or identity of the author. He used a few pen names, but his most popular one is a household name. If youre worried that you cant market books under a pen name because you dont want the real you to appear in public, the only promotion you need to cross off your list is public appearances. Sometimes pen names are close to the authors real name.
Jun 14, 20 some pen names are fairly wellknown for what they are. How famous writers chose their pen names mental floss. This is a list of pen names used by notable authors of written work. Both writers are individually well known in their native sweden, and when they opted to join forces to create one of the bestselling mystery series in sweden, it seemed natural to choose a new name rather than using their own. Anne knish, arthur davison ficke, co author of spectra. The top 8 books of 2019, according to bestselling authors. This name generator is unique we use every single name in the united states, which amounts to essentially every single name in the englishspeaking world. Pen name generator for authors publishing with love. Feb 12, 2020 just take the first letter of your last name, the species of your first pet, and your birthstone to create the first, middle, and last name of your romancewriting alter ego. Jun 28, 2019 unfortunately, we are not currently set up to accommodate multiple pen names each member profile can only be attached to one author profile at a time. May 12, 2017 her name is john doe, jim smith, sue jones, or one of hundreds of other similar names, pen name may be the only way you can set yourself above the crowd. For some authors, a good pen name is the crux of their book branding strategy. Wikipedia has a huge list of pen names used by famous authors.
A brief history of female authors with male pen names. Many authors think its smart or fun to write under a pen name, but if youre writing a nonfiction book, you shouldnt use a pseudonym. Rowling is a member of both english pen and scottish pen. A pen name is a name that you use to publish your books. Pen names and the famous writers who use them the writers. This is how to market books under a pen name smartauthorslab. George orwells most famous novels are animal farm and 1984, but before he wrote those he penned down and out in paris and london, a memoir of his time living in poverty. Theodore seuss geisel adopted the name when he began writing childrens books. You can use your kdp details to create the first author central account for your first three pen names. It took me back to when i had published my first book, remembering how awkward it felt to sign copies. This represents perhaps the most complete picture of the most common names in the united states. Some authors write exclusively under their pen name, while others write under both their actual name and their pen name or multiple pen names, in. Jan 30, 2017 10 authors who write under different pen names 1. Famous authors who wrote under pen names business insider.
I also thought about my first businessa bookstorewhere we flipped through used books in search of autographs the equivalent of a literary jackpot. Perhaps you recently listened to a book by juliet hulme or david john moore. It has also helped me find more work from authors i really enjoy. To use or not use a pen name or pseudonym is a personal choice. Jun 10, 2017 for example, if an authors contract has a noncompete clause or right of first refusal for the next book, that author cannot use a pen name to publish a competing work or publish under a pen name to avoid giving their publisher first crack at the new work. If you have a boring or plain sounding name, a cool name that fits the genre may help sell more books. How to register and legally use a pen name with pictures. You do not have to give your real legal name to the copyright office to register your. Dec 17, 2019 author pseudonyms pen names some authors write or have written under multiple names. Generating pen names for your kindle books the urban writers. Can you guess which pen name belongs to which famous author. A virtual blog tour or online publicity is a much better idea for an indie author anyway. King has penned more than 50 novels in his career, but that collection would be smaller if his early.
I found plenty of discussions about the purpose of using different personasbut, not a simple list. The social security administration ssa compiles a list of the most popular baby names over the past 100 years. Theres not really a right or wrong answer on thisunless you do share a name with a wellknown author andor celebrity. Everything you wanted to know about pseudonyms and werent. In this case, father didnt know bestor much of anything. Mar 01, 2018 acclaimed danish writer karen blixen the author of out of africa, a memoir detailing her time living in kenya used a number of pen names throughout her career. Originally, though, geisel pronounced his pen name to rhyme with. In the 18th century, many female authors used male pen names in order to be taken serious.
The best book title generator tools for coming up with new title ideas. The j and d are a reference to her sons, jason and dan. When it comes to femaleauthored novels that inspire, encourage, and entertain, consider this collection the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Most people know that mark twain was the alias of samuel langhorne clemens. Whether or not you should use a pen name for your writing. So if you cant find your perfect pen name after using this. Even if they love the book, they wont share it or comment on it, because its just a book, and they cant forge a relationship with a book. New startup togather offers lit fans a way to summon authors with promises to buy books. Matheson also chose to distance himself from some of his workbut in his case, it was because he. If your plan includes more than one pen name, you can add them all at once, or add and edit them as you need them.
New york times bestselling authors jasmine guillory and tea obreht shared their favorite reads of 2019 with today. Author have chosen to publish novels under a pseudonym for many. Jun 19, 2008 pen names and pseudonyms for creative writers of books, stories, poems, novels, essays. First, find the word that corresponds with the first letter of your last name.
And the list goes on and on amongst many other famous pen names and authors. Com every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an. If you want to write under a pen name, its usually best to let the publisher know your real name, but ask to have the pen name used as your byline. When horror maestro stephen king started attaining success he was eager to write more books. Rowling has written and published books under the pen name robert galbraith. The outing of richard bachman as a pen name used by stephen king. Jp delaney real name tony strong is author of the girl before, sk tremayne sean thomas wrote the ice twins and next year, the woman in the window by aj finn aka daniel mallory is published.
Here are some great books by black writers you dont want to miss. There are many reasons why an author might use a pen name. An awardwinning team of journalists, designers, and videographers who tell brand stories through fast companys distinctive lens whats next for hardw. Mar 01, 2015 using a male pen name often helped a female author get her foot in the door, past male publishers who didnt think the literary world was a place for women. Andrews, because that pen name actually is trademarked by the publisher of v. Charles lutwidge dodgson author of alices adventures in wonderland and through the lookingglass, lewis carroll was the pen name of charles lutwidge dodgson. Authors might choose a pen name if they write in multiple, unrelated genres.
Making the decision not to publish a specific book under your own name might have taken you some time and deliberation. Theodor geisel worked for jackolantern magazine as. The surprising stories behind the pen names of 10 famous. Seuss has published books under the pen name theo lesieg. The pen name should match the name of the author on the book cover. Anne marreco, anne wignall, 20thcentury english author. How and when should writers use a pen name or pseudonym. However, we can add one common name of your choosing to each book published under each of your other pen names. Jan 14, 2020 in fact, your contract should probably include your real name with a note that youre writing as pen name. A pen name is an assumed name an author uses in place of their real name. Nov 19, 2019 for instance, if you are selfpublishing on amazons kindle platform, you can enter the pen name you want your new book to be published under, and that is separate from the authors account established under your real name that you get paid under.
He penned a number of books under other names, such as theo lesieg and rosetta stone. If you liked this post, here are some other articles you might love. Can you identify the famous author by a book title. Roquelaure are all pen names of the same author ali on june 20, 2008 5. Put your knowledge to the test with this howstuffworks quiz. Below, is a list of all the romance authors i know of, that have 1 monikers. How to set up different pen names at amazon author central.
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