Pen Names and Pseudonyms - Why Use One?

The Many Reasons for Using a Pen Name in Writing

Many people who write do not, for one reason or another, want to put their legal name on their writing. This is not only done with fiction novels, but also with technical writing, opinion pieces, and articles as well. These people will use instead, a pen name or pseudonym of their choice. 

Using a pen name or pseudonym is simple. There is no forms to fill out or papers to file. Anyone can choose whatever by line they would like to be displayed with their writing, as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others.

But why use one really? After putting effort into writing something, why would anyone not want to claim it as his or her own?

One: Embarrassment

You might want to use a pseudonym if you have written something truly embarrassing. Perhaps its just bad writing. Perhaps it is extremely racy or politically bent in an unpopular way.

Two: Different Genres

Many people that write in multiple genres use a different pen name for each one. The romance novelist in you might be named Crystal Skye, while the woman with the technical doctorate degree might be Dr. C. Simmons. It is often advisable to distance your professional life from your writing.

Three: Difficult to Spell or Say

Easy of use and marketability might be another reason to use a pen name or pseudonym. If a reader cannot pronounce or spell your name, they will not be able to look up your books at the bookstore. Shortening your name, or picking another one altogether, may be helpful to your readers.

Four: Wrong Gender or Nationality

Of course, there is nothing wrong with a man writing chick lit, or an Asian person writing about growing up in Little Italy, but readers often have certain expectations. Also, publishers know these expectations and may insist on a pen name that will help market your book to the particular gender.

Romance novelists appear to be predominantly female. There are some male romance novelists, but they choose feminine pen names for marketability.

The memoirs of a boy from Little Italy would lose some credibility if they were written by Ben Huang or Amit Avatapalli.

Five: Better Shelf Location