I'm curious... so I'm going to ask all the authors out there who would be gracious enough to answer:
Do write under a pen name/pseudonym or your real name?
I'm just wondering what the majority out there do, so I've created three polls over to the right..
- You can answer multiple times you just have to click refresh.
- To get to the next page/poll, you must click refresh.
Thanks everyone for your input!
7 People Gabbed:
Hi Anne!
I chose a pen name for several reasons.
1) my real last name isn't romancy in the least.
2) for name recognition: the gunslinger, John Wesley Hardin, is a distant relative and people know they've heard the name, but often aren't quite sure where. Gives me a small measure of pseudo-fame right off the bat. LOL. And actually, alot of Hollywood stars have done this.
3) Wesley Hardin is also a family name. My grandmother's maiden name was Hardin, and my grandfather's middle name was Wesley.
4) privacy.
5) when I'm Ann Wesley Hardin, I'm a writer. It's definitely a distinct persona.
I also liked the way it sounded.
I use both my real name and a pen name because I thought I would be writing very different books under the pseudonym and it was a kind of branding.
I don't do it to hide, although Summer Devon writes erotica so that keeps my kids from getting embarrassed. Bad enough that Kate writes romance.
It turns out a lot of readers don't like it when writers use multiple names. (I think they feel like you're trying to pull something over on them or you're being dishonest).
Ann- Very cool history and meaning behind your pseudonym. Very interesting... makes me want to do some research on John Wesley Hardin... and being as anal as I am when I get something in my head, you can bet I'll be googling later. *G*
Kate- Holy crap! You're Summer Devon? I didn't know that! LOL I've read your work! LMAO! See what I know? I guess I can see how you'd want to use two names that way.. one for romantica and one for romance. Wise choice. How did you come up with Summer Devon as your pseudonym? Just names you liked? Or did someone help you pick that? Man, am I nosy, huh? LOL I can't help myself. I'm so darn curious! I hope you don't mind.. and if you do, just ignore me. *G*
I'm lazy and posting the same comment in both blogs cause it's really the same answer. *G*
I use a pseudonym for privacy issues. As writing for me is a personal accomplishment, I don't tell many people outside the business I write for the simple reason it doesn't occur to me they'd be interested. I write romance and I'm proud of the stories I create. A sense of shame is not something I have in relation to my writing and does not factor into my choice of using a pseudonym.
A psuedonym is a tool of the trade like any other. Many authors use psuedonyms for professional reasons. Especially writers who have been around longer. Some houses used to demand it. Some houses used to own a pseudonym and to write at another publsiher meant adopting another name. Sometimes psuedonyms are adopted or changed for other reasons such as sell through, genre change, fresh starts etc. And thne there's always the possibility that one's given name just doesn't sit pretty on a book jacket. *G*
Hi, Anne!
Cool topic. :) I use a pseudonym because in the beginning, when I first had contact with people online about ten years ago, I didn't want anyone to know my real name. The whole online thing seemed scary to me, and I didn't share much about my personal life with anyone. Then I got married, and my "new" surname is so long and convoluted, no one can pronounce it or spell it...*sigh* LOL So Shelby Reed I shall remain. At least as long as I'm writing adult romance. If I shift gears to young adult or another genre, I might have to change.
Hugs,
Shelby
Hi! My comments - also from Karen Scott's blog:
I don't write romance, but I think pen names definitely help keep a clear distinction between business and personal. I personally would hate to be famous - but - of course I want my work to be as popular as ever. Pseudonyms help support and maintain that distinction. :)
I use my married name for my technical writing and books and use my maiden name for my romance/erotic romance.
The married name ties to my industry, my resume, etc.
But I didn't want to muddy the water or cross posting with having romance/erotic romance on top of the technical stuff.
So I separated the two. Though they are both actually my own name.
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