What is a good pen name for a horrormystery writer. Here, eight that threw me for a loop when i first heard about them. Pseudonyms are fictitious names that authors will use in various situations. These are just a couple of examples of famous authors using pen names. It is a place where you can post stories, poems, and articles. The reply was several of our writers already do no problem. I understand the patriarchal undertones that still flow through present society.
Some pen names have been used for long periods, even decades, without the authors true identity being discovered, such as elena ferrante and torsten krol. Id like to encourage my fellow women writers to feel confident in publishing under traditionally feminine names. These days not having a facebook page is like denying fans who want to sing your praises the convenience of an online clubhouse. Dean koontz and stephen king, both prolific writers, used pen names at the suggestion of their publishers to avoid overexposure. When you see a familiar authors name on a book cover, you probably feel confident that you know what youre getting. Choose the middle names of your two favorite writers as your first and last name. Below are some examples of famous authors with pen names, the real name of each author, and why or how they chose their alias. Rowling, who have written under male pseudonyms, and discussed their. It could be for marketing purposes or it could just be for their own comfort. Rowling once wrote a book under the pen name robert galbraith. Author joanne rowling adopted the more masculine sounding pen name, j. Publishers frequently recommend pen names when prolific writers wish to churn out books in quick succession or if they wish to branch into new genres, including populist ones.
The surprising stories behind the pen names of 10 famous. Jun 28, 2018 the o of yukio is a common suffix to male names. The real people behind 10 famous pen names bookstr. Writers use pseudonyms for a variety of reasons, and many successful, classic writers are more widely known by their pen names than their real ones. Ben franklin used this practice extensively, and when he used a pen name, he often created an entire character to go along with it. Science fiction and mystery pen names are a bit more androgynous while satire writers pick quirkier pseudonyms that leave a lasting impression. If you are publishing with kindle direct publishing kdp, using a pen name on amazon is very easy. Examples of famous pen names theodore seuss geisel aka dr. For centuries, the use of pseudonyms has been implemented in writing by various notable authors wanting to conceal their true identities. Jul 31, 2015 and yet, as i wrote the first book, the.
Before publishing a book, as a rule, publishers or writers themselves check if there are. Using different author names or a pseudonym as a writer the. Authors write under pen names for all sorts of reasons. Make it a soft, comforting name that rolls easily off the tongue and doesnt have too many syllables. You can follow any responses to this entry through the rss 2. There are many different reasons why someone would choose to use a pseudonym, and each reason is personal and valid. Some pen names you dont see coming, though, and assume the name on the book cover is. The owner is a really nice lady and if you spend a certain amount she lets you choose a free book off of a certain shelf. Amanda cross, carolyn gold heilbrun, 20thcentury american.
Barnard to write sensational gothic thrillers with subject matter deemed unladylike for a late 19th century female writer. Below are some examples of famous authors with pen names, the real name of. Michael crichton remarkably, crichton started writing to support himself while attending harvard medical school. Youve written something terrific, but what should you call yourself.
If you have ever read a book and found yourself thinking that the style and. How 8 famous writers chose their pen names mental floss. How to choose a pen name kindlepreneur book marketing for. One of the ways pen names can be useful is to be a aliases if someone is looking for you or doest like your opion on a view you can just use a pen name. Robots, new impressive discoveries, unbelievable technologies. A pen name is a necessity when identity is a matter of national security. How to change your author name to a pen name when selfpublishing. As it said in the article, also avoid alliteration and too much of one letter i. Why do authors use pseudonyms surprising authors behind famous pen names key criteria to come up with the. Jun 19, 2008 some examples of writers who use pen names.
Heres what you need to know before you pick your pen name. This exmilitary mystery novelist is actually one of the most beloved childrens book writers of all timej. The pen name is a combination of richard stark and. May 10, 2016 lets take a look back at the weirdest and funniest author pen names of all time. Actors and artists often use fictitious names, and writers sometimes choose to create under a different persona a. Aug 15, 2016 i use 3 pen names for 3 different writing niches ecommerce, travel and food. Helen sedwick, a writer for the book designer, cleared up all of my questions in her article should you be using a pen name. Do you know the real names of these famous writers. A pen name is a name an author uses in place of their real name when publishing. There are a few reasons why some writers or artists pick pen names. A pen name may be shared by different writers in order to suggest continuity of authorship. Author david cornwell started publishing his acclaimed espionage novels. Sep 26, 2014 but i got to thinking recently and wondered.
If the intent is to deceive, to disguise the fact that the writer is producing three books a year making some people leery of their quality, or to disguise the fact this is a nonfiction author venturing into fiction, or whatever, then i have problems with it. If you are wondering how to choose a pen name and where to get started just browse through some of the pen names to get ideas. When horror maestro stephen king started attaining success he was eager. Run a search of famous writers who use pen names and check out some webpages and book covers for ideas. Some authors write exclusively under their pen name, while others. Jan 21, 2019 101 catchy freelance writing business names jan 21, 2019 may 14, 2017 by brandon gaille freelance writing is something that anyone who has a knack for writing can be successful with. October 22, 2015 by diana urban writing your author bio can be a daunting task, but a wellcrafted bio can help readers learn more about what makes you and your books so interesting. Quickly conjure pen names at the touch of a button pen name generator choose your actor name alias generator. Originally, though, geisel pronounced his pen name to rhyme with voice. After being fired from a magazine for drinking during the prohibition, geisel decided to adopt the pseudonym seuss.
Most writers have a specific style and a genre that they return to over and over again. Both franklin dixon the hardy boys and carolyn keene nancy drew. Instead of accepting this limitation king instead adopted the pen name richard bachman to write more than one book a year. Stephen king was told early in his career that if he wanted to publish more than one book a year he would have to do it under another name and so richard bachman was born. Michael crichton remarkably, crichton started writing to support himself while attending harvard medical school, using the names john lange and jeffrey hudson. The use of pseudonyms isnt nearly as necessary for some authors as it may have once been. The tip about shelving is spot on, as well as the tip about using the same last letter of a famous author in your genre. O ne of the fun things about being a novelist is inventing names for your characters. Many writers use pen namesbut theres a right way and a wrong way to publish your book, stories, poems, or essays under a pseudonym. I went to research the other books in the series, and came to find out. Jul 16, 20 8 famous authors who used secret pseudonyms j. A pen name becomes a sort of shield, allowing the author to conceal his or her identity, shake off any preconceived notions, internal or external, and to write freely in the genre of his or her choice. Wattpads official site says that it is social platform that connects people through words.
Can i use my pen names to promote my real author name. A pen name may be used to make the authors name more distinctive, to disguise the authors gender, to distance the author from their other works, to protect the author from retribution for their writings, to combine more than one author into a single author, or for any of a number of reasons related to the marketing or aesthetic. This is an excerpt from how to market a book third edition, available now in ebook, print and audiobook formats. For example, lets say you want to write a serious adult drama, but also have a passion for writing a childrens picture book. K rowling also used a pen name for one series of books because she wanted to see what the reception would be for her writing when people didnt know it was her. A pen name allows you to write and publish your book anonymously. History is full of great authors who wrote under assumed names, for all sorts of different reasons. Over the years ive been asked my opinion about authors using pen names. But regardless of why one chooses to use a pseudonym, creating a pen name can play an important part in your book s marketing. Other writers have covered pen names before on this blog e. A good pen name should be as creative as your writing is. He eventually gave in and started pronouncing it the way the rest of us do.
Jan 30, 2017 10 authors who write under different pen names. Have you ever thought about publishing under a pen name. 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. If you are writing an instructional book, then it isnt a good idea to choose a. All you need to do is add your new name as the authors name in the contributors section when you are preparing the book for publication. These names are not particularly unusual, but are still memorable and sound natural. They also point out that japanese writers and poets frequently used pen names, and that considering the fact that his father had vowed not to allow his son to dabble in literature, back in the household, the adoption of the pen name probably relieved mishima of certain anxieties.
The pen name maker creates names from a large list of pen names. Theodor geisel worked for jackolantern magazine as editorinchief. Evolution writers expert writing expert writing for your success express writers. For example, alisa zinovyevna rosenbaum is the real name of ayn rand she wrote the famous novel atlas shrugged. For instance, when author judith reumlet published the first book of her ya urban fantasy series, the mortal. Facebook is the best advertising around, allowing peers to share and recommend your writing with minimum input from you. Meet the male writers who hide their gender to attract. Some of our most beloved writers have used male pen names with a variety of motives, from combatting sexism in the industry as a whole, to breaking into maledominated genres, and even as a means. Theodore seuss geisel adopted the name when he began writing childrens books. Before i submitted one of the articles, i asked them if it was ok to use a pen name. I write romanticsuspensei was thinking of using the last name of robert, so i could be she. Pen name generator choose from over a million pen names. Below we have profiled 12 women authors, from louisa may alcott to j.
To differentiate brands and write in different genres. Can you be a successful freelance writer with a pen name. General discussion authors with numerous pen names. The purpose of pen names dorrance publishing company. While many established writers are relieved to rely on their fame, these authors adopted sly alter egos. Jun 14, 20 how 8 famous writers chose their pen names. Besides a pen name can be used by more than one person to sustain the longevity of a book series. None of the site owners have ever had any problem with it. Facebook is incredibly user friendly, and setting up an author facebook page should be relatively simple even for those new to the website. Some examples are emma gosse, luca valpuri, and daria o hearn. The pen the press gang the type writers the writers for hire the zen of writing thrive hive top quality.
Some pen names you dont see coming, though, and assume the name on the book cover is the real deal. Here are a few of the many reasons authors use pen names. The authors real name is likely known to the publisher but not to the public. Choosing a pen name can be a difficult process for writers. May 10, 2016 12 author pseudonyms and the stories behind the names. Many writers are prolific across different genres but to keep fans from being confused, authors use separate names, so readers know what they are getting. Kickstart your writing career with this pen name generator that boasts over 1 million fake names. Book genres that make the most money posted on january 6. Meet the male writers who hide their gender to attract female. For example, alisa zinovyevna rosenbaum is the real name of ayn rand she wrote the famous novel atlas shrugged, examining philosophical and political themes. Aug 15, 2019 other writers have covered pen names before on this blog e.
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