Write under a pen name? What are you hiding from?

3/5/2012

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I read an article about how authors who use pen names tend to produce writing that is of less quality than authors who use their true identity. Really, huh?

(I refuse to link the article here, but if you do a Google search, you're bound to come upon it).

Basically, it said in general terms, that when an author writes using a pen name, they can then hide behind it and not worry so much about the quality of work they produce. So pen names = bad writing.

If an author uses their birth given name, then a reader can expect a better piece of writing because the author has more on the line, they're putting it out there by connecting their identity to their work.

Again, I say really?

Now, some of you may know it and some of you may not, but I do write under a pen name. Angela Scott is not my true name. Angela is. Scott, as a last name, is not. It's not even my maiden name. Am I hiding behind my pen name? Maybe a little, as I will explain further on.

But does that mean I can be more relaxed in my writing because I use a pen name? Heck no. Pen name or not, I still plan to write to the best level I possibly can. I think the assumption that pen names equals less than quality work is pure ridiculousness. Pen name, real name, or not, there is plenty of crap writing found amongst them all. It has NOTHING to do with the name as much as it has everything to do with the actual writer's skills and ability to not only tell a good story, but to weave the words in an artistic way.

So why do I write under a pen name? The first reason, as much as I love my husband, my married name isn't all that cool. My maiden name isn't either. So I chose Scott. I like it. It works for me. Also, it's my husband's first name (a bit of trivia for ya) and so he's not totally being dissed. Angela Scott has a much classier feel to it (Ha,ha,ha...I write about zombies. Talk about classy) and it sounds better on the tongue than either my maiden or married last name.

The second bigger reason I go by Angela Scott has to do a bit with my faith and religious upbringing. I've always lived a little bit in the grey tones of the world--not entirely an angel and not necessarily devilish either; somewhere in the middle. With my pen name, I feel I have a bit more freedom to write the scenes and words that are true to my characters then if I wrote under my given name. My given name would limit me, I feel.

The funny thing? A lot of people within my religious community know Angela Scott is me anyway. Now, don't get me wrong, it isn't like I'm writing rated R or X type works. That's not me. That stuff makes me blush and giggle. I would say I hover more around the PG-13 area, but I take some liberties in my writing that some of my faith would disagree with. Probably the whole zombie idea in itself they would disagree with. That's okay. To each their own. So I guess I use the pen name, in a way, to place a separation between me and my faith. Some will agree with this. Some will not. This is a decision I made for myself and feel comfortable in doing.

All I know is that I can't have tough cowboys running around yelling, "Gosh Dangit!" and always doing the moral thing. They would come off looking like pansies and the Wild, Wild West wouldn't seem so tough.

As far as writing goes, it doesn't matter if I go by Angela Scott or Angela Stinkyface Pimplehead, I would continue to write to the best of my ability either way. I think every writer should. The decision to use an author's true name or a pen name is a personal decision--every pen name is created with a particular reason in mind--and should be respected.

To link pen names with crap writing is wrong. It just isn't true. What would Mark Twain, Dr. Seuss, J.K. Rowling, Richard Bachman, or A.M. Barnard think?

49 Comments

Addy Rae link

3/5/2012 01:00:24 am

I write under a pen name because my parents love alliteration... and (don't tell them) but I really don't like my name. I would agree with you that this article is pretty bogus. I don't really care, in the end, what name I write under but I do care very much about the quality of my writing!

My fiance, when he puts anything online, has a 'pen name' as well because his parents made his name into a pun. He gets enough grief in real life!

Angela Scott link

3/7/2012 01:27:25 am

That's my reason for using a pen name--my married last name doesn't roll of the tongue with ease. I'm still me. I will continue to write, and learn, and grow to the best of my ability.

Megan Trennett

3/5/2012 01:20:30 am

That has to be the craziest thing I’d ever heard, hiding behind a pen name!
I'm like you, my first name is real, but my last name isn't. I chose a pen name because no one outside my home town can pronounce my maiden name, and I didn't want to shun my parents by strictly going by my husband's name.
The only way my writing may have changed since deciding on a pen name is from learning more. So, yeah, if the name police were to come by tomorrow and tell me I had to use my real name from now on, I'm confident that I would be producing the same things.

3/7/2012 01:29:42 am

You're right. It is crazy. I think the article was written to start a stir and of course, it did.

There are many reasons why a person uses a pen name, and for the most part, it has nothing to do with hiding whatsoever.

Derek Grant link

3/5/2012 01:37:47 am

I couldn't agree more. In fact, I posted a similar tale on my own blog about why I decided to go with a pen name (and for similar reasons). But another reason is that I think my pen name just sounds better. I've always preferred single syllable last names in writers. Just sounds punchier. Personal preference, I guess.

3/7/2012 01:31:59 am

Yeah, I like the sound of Derek Grant. Nice :)

I like the sound of Angela Scott as well. It works for me.

SarahJane Heckscher-Marquis link

3/5/2012 02:15:39 am

As you can gather from my real handle, it's a mouthful to say, no one can spell it, and seriously, it didn't really sound like a writer to me. It's not user friendly. So I decided to go with a pen name. Then all the pen names I came up with were even more complicated than my real name. So I decided to go with my initials and the maiden name half of my surname. Just to save time and hassle.

3/7/2012 01:36:48 am

I like your full name. But I can where it could be difficult to spell. I still think it's cool (though I'm sure I'm not saying it right). :)

Avery Marsh link

3/5/2012 03:14:18 am

The reason I use a pen name is privacy. I fully intend on becoming a published author and write to the best of my ability, but just because I want my books to be popular doesn't mean I want to be. My book could be a NY Times bestseller and I'd still rather just a handful of people to know that I (the real me, not this writing persona that I've created) wrote it, as strange as that sounds to some.

3/7/2012 01:38:03 am

Privacy--another very fine reason to go with a pen name.

Eizzah Storm

4/7/2013 08:23:42 am

I feel the same way

Bridget Bowers link

3/5/2012 04:41:15 am

When I was finally ready to send my work out there, I struggled over whether I was going to go with my real name or a pen name. Part of my reasoning was that with a pen name it would be easier to keep personal things personal and a pen name would handle all the "work" and "writing" things for social media.

In the end, my real name isn't terrible. Nothing too long, hard to pronounce or strange spellings, and I decided I was too proud of what I had written to hide it behind a pen name. Now if I write in a new genre, I might change my mind and use a pen name. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, though.

3/7/2012 01:43:03 am

When your real name works and doesn't have a funky ring to it (like mine) than by all means, use it :)

Wodke Hawkinson link

3/5/2012 05:09:51 am

We write under a pen name for practical purposes. We are a co-writing duo and needed to differentiate our collaborated works from our solo works. Wodke Hawkinson is a combination of our names. However, I see nothing wrong with using a pen name. There are a lot of good reasons for doing so, as your post points out. Whoever suggested that a pen name is synonymous with poor writing is factually incorrect.

3/7/2012 01:41:59 am

Exactly--factually incorrect.

By the way, I like Wodke Hawkinson--sounds different and it's something that sticks with you :)

Sam Travalian

3/5/2012 05:14:06 am

Mine is also a pen name, and I agree that using a pen name doesn't necessarily equate to bad writing, some very well known real names have produced dross.

I would also suggest that writing may actually be better under a pseudonym. Personally, I become much freer to write what I actually want to write, rather than constantly thinking about what people I know might make of it, which leads to self-censorship before I've even started.

Lacey Wolfe link

3/5/2012 09:09:32 am

I wrote under a pen name simply for my families safety. As an author we put ourselves in the public eye in every way we can. I don't discuss my kids names or husbands at that usually. And besides that, how does the average reader know if its a pen name or real name?

Elmer Fudd link

3/5/2012 09:56:45 am

That makes no sense to me! But then again, not a lot of stuff does

Anne Chaconas link

3/5/2012 10:36:20 am

I considered writing under a pen name because my last name, Chaconas, is often both hard to spell and pronounce for people. I struggled with making it something that was easier for most, while at the same time wanting to write and publish material under my own name. Eventually, I realized that your writing transcends your name and, if your stories are good enough, your fans will make it a point to know how to pronounce and spell it, anyway. After all, Dean Koontz and Michael Crichton never had a problem.

I agree, by the way: The concept of "hiding" behind a pen name? Ridiculous.

Laura Bickle link

3/5/2012 10:50:31 am

I have two pen names, and sometimes it's necessary to have separation from one's day job and one's writing job. For many years, my day job was in criminal justice. I didn't share my writing with my co-workers, because I NEEDED that separation. That's how I got the first one.

And my publisher editor a second one when I had two series in the same genre with close release dates. I was happy to do it.

Hey - pseudonyms are fun. I get to be Diana Prince AND Wonder Woman, lol!

E Kelly link

3/5/2012 11:15:32 am

My story is similar to Angela's. I too write under a pen name. However, my pen name is completely unrelated to my given name. (Long story for another time.) When I knew I was going to publish my first book, I also knew I HAD to use a pen name. I write contemporary romance. It is both explicit and descriptive (the kind that makes Angela giggle). By day I am an elementary school reading teacher. I use a pen name to avoid the parent's reaction. Some wouldn't like it (I'm sure), others would be supportive. Still others would want to talk about the sex scenes in the parking lot!

Michael Offutt link

3/5/2012 11:49:54 am

The problem with these "kinds" of claims is that they cannot be proven. It's a subjective business and people are claiming that, in a subjective business, that it is their opinion that pen names are a red flag for bad writing. It's ludicrous.

gwen tolios link

3/5/2012 03:24:01 pm

I write under a penname to avoid hiding. My real name is so common I'd never stick out in a google search or on a book shelf.

Cheryl Malandrinos link

3/5/2012 10:15:44 pm

I have to agree with you. If the writing isn't good--pen name or real name--people aren't going to buy your books. Why would an author go through all the trouble of creating a new person just to write shlock?

I released my first children's book under my married name, but am releasing a first chapter reader under a pen name for branding purposes. The first book is for the Christian market, but the second is secular. I didn't want to muddy my "faith-filled journeys for kids" brand with a book that is outside of it. I'm using my initials and my maiden name. People will know it's me, so I'm not concerned; though I am creating a separate online presence for my new book.

J.L. Campbell link

3/5/2012 10:33:12 pm

I don't believe using a pen name equates to work of lesser quality. I used one simply because I had two books coming out with one publisher and one with another in a short period of time and didn't want the issue of competing to arise.

Jaye Robin Brown

3/6/2012 03:32:48 am

And sometimes your real name is incredibly TAKEN - like by a famous author, or book blogger, or whomever and then what?

Jessica Schley link

3/6/2012 03:32:55 am

What a fascinating article. I can see why people would equate pens with poorer quality writing, as they're common in genres and formats where people may produce writing which is more forumlaic. However, that's a pretty classic correlation/causation error. In this day and age, there are so many valid reasons for going with a pen you can't make any generalizations about the quality of the writing or what the author is "hiding" from.

I have a difficult last name, and I also publish academic articles under that difficult last name. I don't mind if people who know me as an academic find my fiction, but I'd certainly prefer that their first hit for my last name be my CV and not my YA writing.

Keira Kohl link

3/6/2012 10:51:10 pm

Under this pen name I write erotica. Under my real name I write suspense/thrillers (in various genres), horror, sci fi, historicals (under the long version of my real name), and scripts. The only reason I chose a pen name for erotica was so readers would know what they were in for when they picked up a book. I didn't want them to see my real name, pick up a book and be disappointed because it wasn't suspense.

Troy Dennison link

3/7/2012 05:33:22 am

I write under two names - my own and a cheerily pseudonymous pseudonym.
I tried an experiment a while back and chose to release some "erotic fiction" under a pen name - I figured there was a market for it so why not?
However I put as much effort into crafting those stories as I do into anything released under my own name. I'm a writer, I write. It doesn't matter what the genre is or what name I release the story under - I will always put in the time and effort and only release a story when I feel happy with it. Just dashing one out and not caring whether it was any good or not would never happen - it's just not who I am.
I was shocked at the suggestion that stories released under a pen name are sub-par.
I LOVE Samuel Langhorne Clemens work - and I'd challenge anyone who said he just dashed stuff out because it wasn't published under his real name.
Oh, and Lemony Snickets anyone?

Chicki Brown link

3/8/2012 01:04:55 am

I decided to write under a pen name (my nickname and maiden name) because it's more memorable than my married name, and it's worked. Several readers have remarked on how much they like it!

Barbara link

3/8/2012 07:13:32 am

That's just dumb. You can write under whatever name you choose since that really has nothing to do with your writing. Some of us just don't like our names. I use my real name but I don't like it. If I ever became serious and got around to publishing that book I wrote I admit that I'd probably publish it under a pen name because I just don't like my real name. Barbara Desmond is a sucky name.

Shan Jeniah link

3/8/2012 09:46:37 am

Shan Jeniah is not my real name. Shan is a snazzier version of my given name, Shannon (which my parents never used; it was a "formal" name for school and work, and never truly "me" in my own mind.

Jeniah is my favorite created character. She's tougher and wilder than I am. I'm more compassionate and empathetic than she is.

I like the way the names go together, but that's not why I use them.

I use Shan Jeniah for everything these days. It's my way of claiming my own life and my own dreams, ideas, and aspirations, my own voice and my right to explore my own life and experiences in any way I am moved to.

It's a license to myself, and a permission, and a reminder.

Since I strive never to write anything that is not true and honest (even when writing fiction), I only give my best efforts to my writing.

However, I honor Shan Jeniah's integrity perhaps more than that of the social persona represented by the names society declares mine.

In a very real sense, my pen name is who I really am.

I'm visiting you today from the campaign list, and am glad random chance landed me on your blog!

Dalya Moon link

3/12/2012 09:02:04 am

I've written one young-kid-friendly book and now I write books that have some mature themes. I considered doing them under different names, just to avoid confusion, but in the end, people assured me even my "mature" stuff wasn't that scandalous.

Different names is simply practical.

Do I think some people use pen names to release work they feel isn't their best? Just for experimentation or money? Of course!! Does it matter? Heck, no!

Marie Frizelle link

3/13/2012 01:13:36 am

I share my married name with a Canadian journalist and she has registered the domain name already so that forces me to an alternative. Sometimes it's that simple.

3/13/2012 06:57:01 am

Marie, that's so true. My cousin is a writer. She shares her name with an already famous author. There's no way she'd be able to write under her real name.

3/14/2012 07:11:05 am

Let's face it, we write, we love to create characters, even if we are those creations. :)

Dorianna (paintswithwords) link

3/18/2012 01:09:11 am

I choose to use a pen name. Like you my last name is not poetic sounding, but it is more than that. I chose a pen name to protect family as I write in erotic/romance which could be embarrassing to some family members, especially the preacher in the family. Also in my genre there are often fans who get a little carried away, so it is a protection. Like your self, using a pen name would never be a reason for less than my very best in my writing.

Manuel Royal link

3/18/2012 02:33:39 pm

Stupid article. (Not yours, Angela -- I mean the one you reference.) As noted, many of the most respected and popular writers have used pen names. (Some even using multiple pen names for different kinds of fiction.) I use one, first because there's already someone else publishing novels who happens to have the same real name as me, and second, so I can separate my professional and private lives. It's very important to me that what appears under my byline, Manuel Royal (named after my old 1938 Royal KHM typewriter, destroyed by arsonists) is of the best quality I can manage.

Sabrina

3/28/2012 01:36:44 am

Writing quality linked to pen name use? I wonder if this person did any research to back up that opinion.

Sounds like you found an article written solely to produce a reaction. I believe people who do that are called trolls. Anyone who does a moment's research knows a pen name is not a secret identity. Alfred Pennyworth won't drop your hopped up writing pen at Starbucks so you can complete your secret WIP while those around you speculate about who you REALLY are.

Bobbie Palmer

4/8/2012 01:10:33 am

I write under a pen name and I do it because my nephews call me Aunt Bob. They couldn't say my name when they were younger, I just made is more feminine. I'm happy to write under a name my nephews named me. I see no problem with writers using a pen name.

E.B. Black link

4/14/2012 01:25:42 am

I write under a pen name as well. E.B. are my real first and last initials and Black is because I write dark stories.

First of all, my last name is so strange that I don't think anyone could spell it to find my books, which is the main reason I decided to go with a pen name and the second is that I feel like I couldn't be myself and write like myself if I didn't use a pen name, a lot like you. I live in a small town and am uncomfortable with certain people knowing what I write as well in general from my past.

Caethes Faron link

5/13/2012 06:01:07 am

It's not about what name you write under, it's about taking ownership of your writing. For some people, writing under a pen name allows them to take greater ownership of their writing and produce a better product.

Melina Gillies

6/7/2012 11:29:22 pm

I just stumbled upon your post and heard my very own reasons for using a pseudonym echoed back at me....stupid Catholic Guilt...lol.

As my work tends to be a little racy in undertone, I feel much the same in that my characters are unrestricted and able to flow freely through me without any of my religious beleifs or apprehensions getting in the way.

Thank you for your honest blog, and I am thrilled that I discovered your work through this process!

Joan Albright link

7/24/2012 10:15:38 am

I also use a pen name for religious reasons, though mine are a bit different. My married name is a very prominent one within my church's leadership (my husband is actually related to the guy), and I don't want people to judge my novels based on my religion. If I write some religious stuff later, sure I'll use my real name, but otherwise it's just distracting.

I can't use my maiden name either, because I share it with a very prominent artist who likes to draw mostly naked fairies. Not even gonna go there.

Joey Dalaba link

8/4/2012 06:06:06 am

When I started writing my novel, I discovered another published writer with the same name. I took my childhood nickname and my grandfather's last name as a pen name. Grampa was a mesmerizing storyteller and actively encouraged my writing, even as a small child. I took his name to honor him and his legacy within our family. I find the idea of being judged negatively for that to be insulting to the both of us.

12/3/2012 11:39:01 pm

Hi Angela,

I've been writing & also am concerned about religious implications. Do you have any problems with getting contracts, pay or tax issues under a pen name?

Anita Mashburn

11/21/2013 11:42:16 pm

Great writing!

Emily link

1/16/2014 06:24:47 am

I think this is very useful information. I like your way of description. Now I am waiting for your next post.

Brandy noble link

5/7/2016 06:26:17 pm

I am planning on writing under a pen name because in my entire life, no one has ever spelled my last name right. I had a librarian once yell at me that she knew how to spell even though it was butchered horribly. I'm very close to my mother and she had considered naming me Brandy before choosing my name. My pen name is both a nod to my mother, my real name, and one of my favorite things so I'm happy to write under it. It has nothing to do with hiding or writing less than my best. Just because spelling issues..

Write under a pen name? What are you hiding from?

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