It’s Independence Day and we have so much to be thankful for! What better day to talk about an author’s reasons to use a pseudonym. The first article, Why Authors Use Pseudonyms, listed 3 reasons (the first two of which are my reasons) — the name is too long and too difficult to spell, followed by gender. This article provides even more great reasons for writers to use pseudonyms.
Safety
Staying safe is important and there are many instances where your writing may make you a target. If your political views are contrary to those of your neighbors, friends, or your workplace, a pseudonym may be your answer. But your views/position may not be the only reason your safety may be jeopardized. An author I know who writes Christian romance was targeted by a prisoner. As his release date approached, and his obsession continued, she decided a pseudonym would be in her best interest.
Genre
You may be an author who wrote in one genre, but wanted to venture out into another. Your following would be very unhappy if they bought a book they thought was in their favorite genre, only to find this book didn’t even come close to their expectations. Disappointment is an understatement. If an author plans on venturing into another genre, a pseudonym may be right for you.
Family
A writer may write in a genre that they don’t want their family to know about. When I was a speaker for a nationwide conference, I was invited to a pre-conference gathering which I attended. An author’s shoes prompted me to approach the wearer/author. I had injured my foot and could not wear heals. Yes, I know this is a strange way to meet someone, but sometimes it brings amazing results. This author was sweet, conservative, and very shy. After we discussed where she bought the shoes and their benefits, I asked what she wrote. Needless to say, I was quite surprised to find that she wrote erotica, was the wife of a surgeon, and mother of 4 children. Obviously, she could not write under her legal name or it would seriously hurt her family, income, and way of life, so she wrote under a pseudonym. She’s not the only one to choose a pseudonym for this reason.
work
Depending on who you work for or what you do for a living, a pseudonym might be just what the doctor ordered. If you are a government employee and disagree with their political perspective, no doubt you do not want them to know your political views unless you don’t mind risking the loss of your job. If it’s not politics, it might be something else associated with your position.
In my last article, I asked what your thoughts were on my use of Karen Vann as my new pseudonym. Based on an overwhelming majority of my readers, it looks like this name is the winner. Thank you for your input!
Can you think of any other reasons a writer may want to use a pseudonym?
© 2019 Karen Van Den Heuvel Fischer
Karen, congrats on finding a pseudonym you’ll love using and respond to easily.
On the subject of genres…I write romance and romance suspense, however, I’ll be adding cozy mysteries and YA. I’m not changing my name. I’m handling it on my webpage with tabs and memes for the various genres. My reasoning for ME is sound. I’m building up a name and people recognize it, I don’t want to start the building process over.
Yes, people have said I shouldn’t do this as expectations are that a reader could be disappointed b/c they think they’re getting a romance author or vise versa, however as I said, I believe if a writer understands it’s an undertaking that needs to be addressed, it can expand your visibility, not harm it. My opinion only here, and maybe I’ll come back in a year or so and admit I was wrong, but I feel very confident I’m on the right path. HOWEVER, if you write for trad publishing…that’s another story completely.
Oh, and I truly believe no pseudonym is completely safe, there is too much information available on the internet. A PO Box can help with this, but not a guarantee…Thanks for the posts on this. Hugs, LA
Thank you Leslie! I love your books so regardless of the genre you write, I’ll be reading!
I’m glad you’ve chosen Karen Vann as your pseudonym. It’s short, easy to spell, and easy to remember. Great choice!
Thank you Amanda!