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Pen Names
Posted on September 22nd, 2010 11 commentsWhy do some authors take on a pen name? We’ve been talking about this over on the AQ discussion boards again. There are so many reasons to take on a pen name (privacy, hiding out from family, hate your name, current name is hard to spell and pronounce, want to write several genres without confusing your audience, etc).
While eating lunch, I opened up Chatelaine–which insists on coming instead of Writer’s Digest which is the magazine I actually renewed through the magazine service, but oh well–and what do I see? An article on why authors take a pen name. Here are a few they listed and their reasons along with a couple others:
Sophie Kinsella wrote a book under the Madelaine Wickham (real name) and then decided to change to writing the Shopaholic books. She figured she needed a new name to represent the change.
Stephen King (Richard Bachman) created a pen name so he could put out more than one book a year
Anne Perry (Juliet Hulme) killed someone as a teenager, did time, then decided to write. She (wisely) decided to keep her past under wraps.
George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) wrote under a man’s name as she felt she would be taken more seriously, and it would also serve to protect her from the scandal of being known as a novelist.
JK Rowling (Joanne Rowling) grabbed another initial (from her Grandmother’s name–Kathleen) to make her name more gender non-specific as her publisher wasn’t sure that boys would want to read about a boy wizard written by a woman.
Carolyn Keene (never was one) was created by a book packager Edward Stratemeyer who also whipped up the series idea “The Hardy Boys” and “The Bobbsey Twins” a well as “Nancy Drew.”Anne Rice (Howard Allen O’Brien) took the name ‘Anne’ in school (probably the teasing was too much to bear having a name like ‘Howard’ and then took her husband’s last name to finish off the pen name. (Also wrote erotica under the name A.N. Roquelaure.)
Meg Cabot (Meggin Cabot) has written under Patricia Cabot for her romance books, and Jenny Carrol for her teen mystery series, but now uses ‘Meg’ for pretty much everything. My understanding for ‘Jenny Carrol’ was that Meggin was very prolific, yet wasn’t bringing in much money with what her publisher was taking and she wanted to publish more. And hence the secret names began…
11 responses to “Pen Names”
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Jean, this is interesting. I just use my initials, because my last name is so long. I didn’t want my name to be in tiny font on the cover, and there were a gazillion other people with my name. Oh, and it does give me a little privacy. I think.
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I think that works beautifully. Initials work as you say for looking snazzy on a cover as well as granting a bit of privacy. Do you find people don’t know what to call you at book signings?
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Well, they usually don’t even say my name. They are very nervous to meet me. ??? But a few days ago I went to a Congressman’s book signing and the shoe was on the other foot. When it was my turn to go up to meet him I stumbled, babbled, and nearly shot out the door when I was done. Not very gracious. So yeah, I totally get the nervous thing.
And the only problem lately with my name is my radio show gig. I’m now filling in as the co-host when one of them can’t be there. They know me by my real name (they’re close friends) so yesterday on the show we decided that for the radio I am simply my name, because they couldn’t get used to the initials. lol
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And there goes the ‘privacy,’ eh? Oh well…
I can see the nervousness. I was at a book signing with my all-time favourite author who is a children’s author. He didn’t really look like he wanted to be there. I had to be at least the millionth person to get a book signed by him in his career. I told him I loved the show (he’d done a little storytelling show just before that) and he just sort of gave me a blank look. I had been soooo nervous whereas I think he was on autopilot and in another world.
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Yep, there goes the privacy… As far as autopilot goes it hasn’t happened to me. But I haven’t written a million books, and gained stardom, either. He must have been exhausted. Poor guy.
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It was right after one show and just before another. Plus, he was probably jet lagged. And well, he’d just gotten out of rehab too, so there’s that.
What is your radio show about?
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Rehab? Nice… Um, okay! LOL
Actually the show is not about anything really. It’s a talk show on Christian radio and they talk about everything, and nothing and it’s just sort of funny. Sometimes serious. But mostly silly. It’s sort of like Seinfeld – a show about nothing. I know – it’s quirky!
I’m mainly on there as the facilitator for the book club. I get to talk about books, the club, etc. But when I fill in as the co-host we just talk about everything. I love it. Wouldn’t mind having my own show someday.
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Oh, and I’m not on everyday – just a few times a month.
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That sounds like a lot of fun. I could babble on about anything. I often do, in fact! In university there was a radio station, but all the shows were soooo serious that I didn’t even (okay, hardly did) entertain the thought of running my own show.
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I use a penname because of my job. Everything I write has some romance in it and I’m not sure how my school board would feel about it if I ever did get published
I didn’t know Carolyn Keene wasn’t a real person!! I’m so sad!
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Good reasoning!
I had thought there was a real Caroline Keene at some point. I wonder if there was ever a real Francine Pascal (Sweet Valley High)?
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I am an aspiring fiction writer (children's, women's and commercial) and an agented nonfiction writer. I am also a member, critiquer and site moderator over on AgentQueryConnect.com. And, I also blog with other fabulous writers at all stages of the writing game on From The Write Angle.
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TK Richardson September 22nd, 2010 at 09:41