What would your author name be?

Imagine you published a real book in the real world! Would you want your own birth name printed on the cover, or would you come up with something completely different, like for example George Orwell (actually Eric Arthur Blair) and Cassandra Clare (Judith Rumelt in reality) have done? Or perhaps you have another solution - initials, or something else? Let us know!

I've toyed with several pen names before, but since I haven't actually published anything, I haven't used them. When my poem was published in the YWS Literary Journal, I was credited as my first name and the first letter of my surname!

Also - if you have a pen name, feel free to share it here! I know I'm interested

Aw. It looks like someone else already picked Other (please specify). I guess I need to make up a new one now.

I don't understand the point of pseudonyms. When I found out Lemony Snicket wasn't real, I cried for days. Like seriously. >_>

Then I found out that the author went by that name to tie in with the story and I felt betrayed. At least warn me next time <_<

(I was young I hadn't discovered Wikipedia yet)

I already have my pen name.

My birth name is terrible - if I don't change it, I'm definitely going with a pseudonym.

I am filled with instant admiration for people who use pseudonyms (I don't know why). It's also a great way to avoid unwanted attention.

I have used pseudonyms before, but they keep changing. And yeah, if I was considering seriously publishing something, I guess I would use my own name.

I'd use a pseudonym because I just can't imagine people including my name in an essay on my book. Mine doesn't sound like the right sort of name.

I would have to say I would use my initials because my name is too complex. XD (32 letters long...)

I think that I would like seeing my own real name on a cover... but people have trouble saying my last name right ( There's a part in it that looks like it should say 'cow' ). Therefor I think I'd use my first name ( which I don't go by ) and then have my middle name, and last name's initials.

I've thought it would be fun to have a pen name, I even thought Holly Socks might work, but I think I would rather have my real name on something, if something ever gets published.

I know a lot of writers who are also teachers use pen names to disassociate their work from their hobby (two of my old high school teachers did that).

As for me, I will probably use my birth name. I have used various pseudonyms before when publishing stuff in local magazines and papers, all rooted in family names:

Lance Mater
Mater Knight
Marvin Knight
Ira Mater

Iggy wrote:I don't understand the point of pseudonyms. When I found out Lemony Snicket wasn't real, I cried for days. Like seriously. >_>

Then I found out that the author went by that name to tie in with the story and I felt betrayed. At least warn me next time <_<

(I was young I hadn't discovered Wikipedia yet)

Wait a minute...

LEMONY SNICKET ISN'T REAL?!

Just my first and middle name, because I really like my middle name, but my last name is the name of a tree. BOOOORING.

Demeter wrote:Imagine you published a real book in the real world! Would you want your own birth name printed on the cover, or would you come up with something completely different, like for example George Orwell (actually Eric Arthur Blair) and Cassandra Clare (Judith Rumelt in reality) have done? Or perhaps you have another solution - initials, or something else? Let us know!

I've toyed with several pen names before, but since I haven't actually published anything, I haven't used them. When my poem was published in the YWS Literary Journal, I was credited as my first name and the first letter of my surname!

Also - if you have a pen name, feel free to share it here! I know I'm interested

My pen name is Kaylee Chen, I know I said made up, but I changed my mind.

My last name is notoriously difficult to pronounce/spell, so I'd likely go with a pseudonym. However, I never thought about this much as I haven't written anything close to publishing.

It would be ridiculously awesome if I could just be Audy as a mononym. I also have a super hard to spell/pronounce last name (and it just doesn't look like author names, y'know?)