Real Name vs. Pen Name - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T11:57:04Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/537324:Topic:24516?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A24780&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI know, it's kind of a delusi…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-03-11:537324:Comment:1874672009-03-11T23:04:21.655ZminervaKhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/minervakoenig
I know, it's kind of a delusion to think one could become well-known without one's real name being made public, but at this point, I don't know if I'm any good or not, so maybe the pen name is a hedge. If I send out the book and get a huge positive response, I may decide to publish under my own name. Whereas, if it gets uniformly trashed, "I" won't be the one to absorb it, my pen persona will.<br />
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Huh. I didn't realize that until I wrote it just now.<br />
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My real name is short and eye-catching, but…
I know, it's kind of a delusion to think one could become well-known without one's real name being made public, but at this point, I don't know if I'm any good or not, so maybe the pen name is a hedge. If I send out the book and get a huge positive response, I may decide to publish under my own name. Whereas, if it gets uniformly trashed, "I" won't be the one to absorb it, my pen persona will.<br />
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Huh. I didn't realize that until I wrote it just now.<br />
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My real name is short and eye-catching, but it's not easy to pronounce, so I'm not sure what I'll do, should the rubber actually one day meet the road.<br />
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Hm.<br />
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MK Well, my professional name is…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-03-11:537324:Comment:1874442009-03-11T21:07:02.281ZI. J. Parkerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
Well, my professional name isn't too different from my real name. I use initials for my books. But I keep the two separate, and keep a separate e-mail adress for fans (from my web side). I attend signings and conventions under my professional name.<br />
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Still, keep in mind librarians will breakyour pseudonym and list your real name on the Internet, and chances are good that the copyright page will list your legal name. :)
Well, my professional name isn't too different from my real name. I use initials for my books. But I keep the two separate, and keep a separate e-mail adress for fans (from my web side). I attend signings and conventions under my professional name.<br />
<br />
Still, keep in mind librarians will breakyour pseudonym and list your real name on the Internet, and chances are good that the copyright page will list your legal name. :) I forgot to include: a pen na…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-03-11:537324:Comment:1874292009-03-11T20:13:11.391ZminervaKhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/minervakoenig
I forgot to include: a pen name will also (I'm supposing) protect at least part of my life from the abject humiliation that follows when my first book is panned by the critics.<br />
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Seriously, how does someone live with a thing like that?
I forgot to include: a pen name will also (I'm supposing) protect at least part of my life from the abject humiliation that follows when my first book is panned by the critics.<br />
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Seriously, how does someone live with a thing like that? OK, this will probably entert…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-03-11:537324:Comment:1874192009-03-11T19:44:16.035ZminervaKhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/minervakoenig
OK, this will probably entertain you guys enormously: I'm using a nom de plume mainly because I'm an uber-introvert, and I want to protect myself from the hordes of screaming fans I will one day have. Also, since I have an established professional career unrelated to writing, I wanted a line of demarcation between my two 'personas,' both psychologically and vocationally.<br />
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I'm curious to hear, from you published writers, how you navigate your public life under an assumed name. At readings, do…
OK, this will probably entertain you guys enormously: I'm using a nom de plume mainly because I'm an uber-introvert, and I want to protect myself from the hordes of screaming fans I will one day have. Also, since I have an established professional career unrelated to writing, I wanted a line of demarcation between my two 'personas,' both psychologically and vocationally.<br />
<br />
I'm curious to hear, from you published writers, how you navigate your public life under an assumed name. At readings, do you go by your pen name, or do you tell people to call you by your real name? When meeting publishers/agents, do you go by your pen name? It seems so strange (and oddly compelling) to think I might one day have an entirely separate life under another name. I can see myself having an entirely different wardrobe, hairstyle, manner of speaking, etc. -- !!<br />
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Also, do you set up the assumed name as a business entity for financial purposes? I imagine one would have to. How difficult is this to manage?<br />
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MK Jane,
Your name is easy to sp…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-04-30:537324:Comment:298512007-04-30T21:05:31.743ZMorgan Mandelhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/morganmandel
Jane,<br />
Your name is easy to spell and pronounce and remember. Those are all good pluses.<br />
A lot of people get mixed up with my real name, so I figured why create more confusion. Better to<br />
have an easy name for people to find and spell. It's hard enough to sell books as it is.<br />
Morgan Mandel
Jane,<br />
Your name is easy to spell and pronounce and remember. Those are all good pluses.<br />
A lot of people get mixed up with my real name, so I figured why create more confusion. Better to<br />
have an easy name for people to find and spell. It's hard enough to sell books as it is.<br />
Morgan Mandel I use my real name. I thought…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-04-30:537324:Comment:298022007-04-30T17:07:02.526ZJane Hillhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JaneHill
I use my real name. I thought about using a pseudonym, especially since there's a BBC TV newsreader with the same name as me (and I used to be a broadcast journalist, so there is scope for confusion there). I planned to do what Conway Twitty did, and stick two pins in a US road atlas. I rejected Cincinnati Boise and Memphis Durango (although I'm still tempted by the latter...) and wanted to go with Charlotte Cody. But my agent said it wasn't dark enough - he said Charlotte Cody would write…
I use my real name. I thought about using a pseudonym, especially since there's a BBC TV newsreader with the same name as me (and I used to be a broadcast journalist, so there is scope for confusion there). I planned to do what Conway Twitty did, and stick two pins in a US road atlas. I rejected Cincinnati Boise and Memphis Durango (although I'm still tempted by the latter...) and wanted to go with Charlotte Cody. But my agent said it wasn't dark enough - he said Charlotte Cody would write sweeping epics involving faded love letters hidden in an attic. He persuaded me to stick with Jane Hill because he said, "The shorter the name, the bigger the letters on the cover". Real name. When your real nam…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-04-28:537324:Comment:293072007-04-28T23:23:09.124ZPepper Smithhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Reefrunner
Real name. When your real name sounds made-up anyway, why bother going with a pen-name? LOL!
Real name. When your real name sounds made-up anyway, why bother going with a pen-name? LOL! Don't know about the rest of…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-04-24:537324:Comment:278942007-04-24T11:01:59.730ZDamien Gayhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/crimedownunder
Don't know about the rest of you but I'm waiting for Duane <s>Swiercvlzv</s>...that Secret Dead guy to explain to us why he went with the pseudonym.
Don't know about the rest of you but I'm waiting for Duane <s>Swiercvlzv</s>...that Secret Dead guy to explain to us why he went with the pseudonym. Wow, this has given me pause.…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-04-24:537324:Comment:278382007-04-24T04:19:09.892ZKaryn J. Powershttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/karyning
Wow, this has given me pause. I've worked for small town governments and on small military bases my whole career, so I'm used to people commenting on the items in my grocery cart, but I really, really want to see my name on the spine/cover of that first book. I guess if the books sell and I get a lot of crap, I'll just fast forward my answer machine and take to shopping before work.
Wow, this has given me pause. I've worked for small town governments and on small military bases my whole career, so I'm used to people commenting on the items in my grocery cart, but I really, really want to see my name on the spine/cover of that first book. I guess if the books sell and I get a lot of crap, I'll just fast forward my answer machine and take to shopping before work. It doesn't hurt using a littl…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-04-16:537324:Comment:250862007-04-16T00:41:16.659ZMorgan Mandelhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/morganmandel
It doesn't hurt using a little strategy when you think up a pen name, Eliza. In this business, we need all the help we can get. <br />
Morgan
It doesn't hurt using a little strategy when you think up a pen name, Eliza. In this business, we need all the help we can get. <br />
Morgan