Should I Use a Pen Name? The Pros and Cons for Authors?

As an author, one of the most important decisions you’ll ever have to make is whether to publish under your real name or use a pen name, sometimes called a pseudonym, or (if you want to sound a bit posh), a ‘nom de plume.’

With my first book, using a pen name was the obvious (and safest) choice. Though written as fiction, the story was based on real events; the characters and many of the places in the book were real, and I wanted to protect the identities of all involved. But with my second book, I faced something of a dilemma. Should I continue with the same pen name? Start my fiction writing career with a different name? Or (horror of horrors) use my real name?

Why do authors use pen names?

Authors have been using pen names for centuries. Although their reasons for doing so may have changed with the times, choosing a literary alter ego is nothing new.

In the nineteenth century, women in particular often used male or gender-neutral names due to a lack of acceptance and/or prejudiced attitudes towards female authors. The Brontë sisters published under the names Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell, while Mary Ann Evans wrote as George Eliot.

Many famous male authors also chose pen names, including Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who published as Lewis Carroll, and Eric Blair, writing under the pen name George Orwell.

What are the advantages of using a pen name? 

Deciding to use a pen name has several advantages. In some cases, it may be an entirely practical decision. Maybe your real name is difficult to spell or pronounce, or it may be the same or similar to another author. Some authors may feel their real name doesn’t connect with their target audience (imagine a historical romance by Spike Crowe, for example, or a murder mystery by Flora Honeywell?).

A pen name can provide a useful shield between your writing career and your professional one, particularly if you work in an industry where you wouldn’t want your writing to be traced back to you, such as a doctor who writes extreme horror, or a primary school teacher who writes erotic fiction.

In my case, I already use another pen name for my ‘day job’ as a medical writer, which serves to keep my two distinctly different writing careers separate.

Often, the decision to use a pen name is an emotional one.

To write and publish a book is to be vulnerable. You put your innermost thoughts and feelings out there for the world to see — and judge. Your writing goes from being something you create and craft and nurture in the sanctuary of your home, to being public property for people to comment on, criticise and review as they see fit.

Writing under a pen name provides a buffer between your private persona and your writing. Personally, this was the big deciding factor for me. Though I would love my books to be well-known, I have no desire to be known or recognised personally. Using a pen name allows me the freedom to write as someone else and keep my private life separate.

Paradoxically, in addition to being something to hide behind, a pen name can also give you the freedom to write things you wouldn’t be brave enough to write under your real name. It provides distance and allows you to write freely, without fear of judgement from friends, family or colleagues.

Are there any disadvantages of using a pen name?

The main disadvantage that springs to mind when deciding not to publish under your real name is simply that —not publishing under your real name means not seeing your name on the cover of a book you’ve spent years creating. For me, this wasn’t an issue as I get the same thrill seeing my pen name on the cover. My pen name has become like a separate identity, a different part of me, but still me.

Another potential downside of publishing under a pen name is having to have separate social media accounts, websites, marketing, and publicity for each name. This is particularly true if you use multiple pen names, but for me it’s not an issue. I have personal social media accounts in my real name and book-related accounts in my pen name.

If you decide to write under a pen name, you usually use this name for any media-related activities or book signings, so you need to be comfortable being interviewed and signing your name as your pen name.

It’s also worth looking at the legal ramifications when using a pen name. You will need to use your real name for most legal issues such as signing contracts, copyrighting and setting up royalty payments. Interestingly, while you can’t copyright your pen name, you can register it as a trademark to stop others from using the same pen name. You can find more information on this through the UK Intellectual Property Office (USPTO).

The decision

In the end, I decided to keep the same pen name and continue to publish as Caroline Orman. The name has become like a second identity to me, and it would be hard for me to give that up and start again under a new name. Though modest, I have gained a few followers (dare I say ‘fans’) with my first book, The Other Side of Fear. Sometimes, I get messages from people asking me if I’ve written anything else, and soon, I’ll be able to say ‘Yes!’ (cue ‘happy dance!’).

Switching to a different pen name makes me harder to search for as an author and may be confusing for readers. There’s also the issue of my social media accounts, website and previous marketing and interviews I have done as Caroline Orman.

The only benefit I could see of choosing a new name was that it would provide a clear distinction between my first book (a narrative non-fiction) and my future works of fiction. This may make sense if I were writing in a completely different genre; however, there are similarities between The Other Side of Fear and my new novel, Soul Traffic. Both explore the themes of abuse, trauma, love, revenge and the connections between people. Both are written as fiction in a similar style. I hope those who enjoyed The Other Side of Fear will also enjoy Soul Traffic.

Many authors, including Tobias Wolfe and Kathryn Harrison, have successfully made the leap from memoir/autobiographical fiction to fiction, using the same name.

Should I use a pen name?

There are many reasons why an author may decide to write under a different name, but deciding whether to publish under your real name or a pseudonym is a choice only you can make.

While the right name can help get you noticed, avoid judgement, maintain privacy and give you the freedom to write what you want, it’s worth examining the pros and cons of using a pen name before making a decision.

After all, what’s in a name? As the bard himself once said, a rose by any other name…