Pen Names and Female Writers

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The power of pen names, an infographic[/caption]

Writers have used pseudonyms for a variety of reasons. The anonymity a pen name provides can give writers more freedom to write as they choose without it impacting their personal lives. Pseudonyms have also allowed women a voice during times when they were prevented from getting published, or times when they would be judged more harshly for revealing their true identities. Even into the twentieth century, many countries in Europe had laws preventing women from earning a living outside the home without spousal permission. Mary Anne Evans is one of many women who protected her identity during this time using the male pseudonym George Eliot. Even today, women still use pen names for a wide variety of reasons, including the continued prejudices against female writers. A study of 2011 popular book reviewers showed an overwhelming bias towards reviewing the books of male writers in comparison to female writers. That year, publishing houses also had a bias towards publishing the works of men far more frequently than the works of women. Even wildly popular authors such as J. K. Rowling use pen names to be better received by the public. When the Harry Potter series was going to be published, Joanne Rowling’s publisher told her to use a more gender neutral name so that boys would read her works. More recently, Rowling used the pseudonym Robert Galbraith in order to distance herself from her previous work and be taken seriously in a different genre. Women trying to make a name for themselves in the genres of science fiction and crime oftentimes choose gender neutral or male pen names in order to be given an unbiased chance in the male dominated communities. Pseudonyms offer anonymity while also protecting women from gender bias in a world that is still struggling to accept them.