Let’s Talk About Pen Names
Should you use one? How do you pick one?
You might have heard the story of Robert Galbraith. He was an author of crime novels. His debut was published. He was successful.
Except he never existed.
Robert Galbraith is a pen name of J. K. Rowling. Ever heard of her?
Rowling wanted the experience of writing without expectations and to see if she was good enough to get published without her name attached to the story. Unfortunately for her, three months after Galbraith’s debut, she was outed as the author.
There are all sorts of reasons to use a pen name. Let’s dive in.
Anonymity
Perhaps the most common reason authors use a pen name is they want a level of anonymity. Maybe they write something provocative. Maybe they just don’t want the public to know about them. There is a benefit of keeping your public and private lives separate. Maybe they are afraid of rejection and the pen name makes it easier to take. Being anonymous is freeing. You can take on a whole new persona. You can be someone else while you write, edit, publish, and market.
Multiple Genres
Another top reason is a writer writes in multiple genres and wants to create a brand for each genre. This…
