Why You'll Regret Your Pen Name

5 Headaches To Prepare For

It might not surprise you to learn that I use a pen name, seeing as how it’s quite an odd name. It might surprise you to learn why I use one. Writers today seem to choose pen names for privacy reasons, but I chose a pen name because I felt sure that if I wrote science fiction under a feminine name, readers and industry professionals wouldn’t give me a fair chance, since the genre is historically a male-dominated one. Although the field has changed a lot over the past decade or so, I don’t think my fears were unfounded. I once went to a science fiction workshop where a fellow author was very confused to meet me when I arrived. He asked if I was attending, why I was attending, and seemed incredulous when I assured him that I wrote science fiction. It was an odd way to start a workshop, but I found it mostly funny. He hasn’t been the only man to tell me that I don’t look like I write science fiction (I’m sure Mary Shelley didn’t look like she wrote science fiction either, and yet it can be argued that she invented the genre). I thought a pen name might spare me some of the assumptions that would make it difficult for my work to get past those first impressions. For that reason, it’s probably been a good idea to use a pen name. And yet, on balance, I’m not sure whether it’s been worth the trouble.

As I said above, most writers I meet who use a pen name seem to do so for privacy reasons. They don’t want disgruntled readers harassing them, or they don’t want their boss to know they write erotica, or they don’t want to confuse readers when they switch to writing in a different category. Many good reasons exist for using a pen name, but many headaches come with it. Before you chose whether to use a pen name, you might want to prepare yourself for these hassles.

1. Payment Problems

The worst aspect of using a pen name, for me, is that it makes payment difficult. Inevitably, no matter how many emails I send to an organizer, or how I write a clause into my paperwork specifying that I need to be paid under my legal name, about half the time I get a check written out to my pen name, which I can’t cash.

(I think there might be a way to fill out some legal paperwork somewhere so that I can get paid under a pen name, but I haven’t tried that and don’t know how easy or difficult it is.)

Travel is also tricky with a pen name. If someone else is booking my travel (an organizer, a publicist), they have to book the plane ticket under my legal name, which they may not remember to do (I’ve never had this happen to me, thankfully).

If you’re hoping to keep your legal name absolutely secret, you’ll have to create a lot of workarounds, like booking your own travel and getting reimbursed, and figuring out how to get paid under your pen name.

Likewise, if you get a contract that refers to you by your pen name, you’ll have to ask for it to be rewritten (a situation I’ve been through quite a lot). Technically, a contract that includes only a writer’s pen name might be legally upheld, but since that situation is murky, I always insist on using my legal name in contracts. This can mean a delay in timetables, since it can take a while for a contract to be rewritten, even for something as minor as a name correction.

2. Confusion

I never anticipated this aspect of using a pen name, but other people’s confusion over what to call me is a terrible headache. I’m strict about using my pen name at professional functions (conferences, events, signings, etc.), because I want people to be able to place me with my books. (In fact, one publisher told me I needed to be much more strict about this for clarity’s sake and that booksellers were getting confused by use of my legal name.) But inevitably in these contexts, someone who knows me well will start calling me by my legal name, and then everyone starts to get confused, no matter how much I tell people to please go on calling me by my pen name.

When I’m among writer friends, I usually go by my legal name but don’t mind if they feel like it’s easier to keep using my pen name. Generally, this ends up with half the group calling me one name and half calling me the other, which isn’t confusing for me but can be for them.

It’s also tricky to know when to first tell a fellow writer my legal name. Some writer friends feel affronted that I didn’t tell them sooner, while others feel uncomfortable with the thought of suddenly calling me by a different name. Sometimes people feel like I’ve been tricking them or keeping them at a distance. That’s definitely not my intention! My pen name is my name—in the sense that it’s a name I use, just as many people use a nickname. To me, it’s like someone you call AJ suddenly telling you that his legal name is Aaron Junior, and he doesn’t mind being called AJ or Aaron. But for some people, it’s confusing and even annoying to find out that I have a different legal name.

This might be one headache you haven’t considered in your decision over whether to use a pen name, or you might think it’s not much of an issue, but I promise you it’s something you should start creating a plan for. When will you use which name? How will you deal with the confusion your pen name will create?

One way to avoid this problem (and some of the other problems mentioned in this essay) is to keep your legal first name as part of your pen name, or to use your initials.

Some writers try to cure confusion by always introducing themselves with both names, but I feel this ultimately creates more confusion. I never know what to call someone when they say, “I’m Penny Penname, but you can call me Penny or Jean.” I think it’s easier to give one option, and only to offer the second option when the context changes. So if you meet someone at a conference, you say, “I’m Penny Penname,” and if you see them again in your own neighborhood, you say, “Penny is actually my pen name. I usually go by Jean when I’m not in professional spaces.” Or… just always stick to your pen name! If someone finds out you have a different legal name, I think it’s fair enough to say you prefer not to use that name.

These writer friends called me by different names during the same outing. No one suffered. (Pictured L to R: Me, Gordon Jack, Stacey Lee, Lisa Moore Ramee, Randy Ribay, Caroline Kusin Pritchard, Joanna Ho, Lindsay Lackey.)

3. Unclear Etiquette

Since people don’t understand that I need to stick to my pen name when I’m in professional spaces, they tend to ignore my pen name if they have found out my legal name. When a stranger suddenly uses my legal name in a professional context, it feels jarring.

A pen name lends me a bit of privacy; it puts a barrier between my professional self and my personal self. It gives me the feeling that my true identity is not tied up in the cutthroat, status-conferring, money-conscious nature of publishing. When someone I don’t know uses my legal name in a professional setting, I feel like my worlds collide.

Ideally, people will ask what to call you if they’re only just meeting you for the first time, and you’ll have a chance to convey your preference. Some will insist on using your legal name no matter your preference, even in a space where you’re only known by your pen name. (I think this goes back to the idea that people don’t want to feel “tricked.”) As with many situations writers find themselves in, the etiquette for this is not exactly established.

Etiquette is perhaps the least anticipated aspect of using a pen name. It’s worth thinking through how to handle these situations with grace.

4. Changing Trends

I loved my pen name when I chose it. I thought my first novel would be middle grade, and a quirky name like Parker Peevyhouse sounded great in that category. But I’m not sure if I like the name as much these days. I still like that the alliteration makes it memorable. But Parker was a very popular name when I chose it, and naming trends have changed. I wonder if I should have picked something more meaningful to me, and I don’t feel particularly attached to the name now. It’s a good name, but I wouldn’t care either way if I suddenly needed to change it for some reason.

It may be that a pen name you choose now won’t feel as fitting later on, and while it’s fine to change a pen name, it will certainly affect the continuity of your career. There might come a point when you feel you’ve outgrown a name that currently fits you or your books.

5. No Guarantee of Privacy

This one hasn’t been a problem for me, but other writers who have tried to keep their legal name absolutely secret have talked online about it being revealed against their wishes. For someone in a very sensitive situation, this must be a terrible experience. So you should know that while a pen name can help with privacy, it doesn’t guarantee it.

Why I Don’t Regret My Pen Name

I’m glad that my pen name is memorable. I figure that while that doesn’t guarantee book sales, it also can’t hurt. I also think it’s a fun name, and it’s been fun to use.

Most of all, I like the slight barrier a pen name puts between my professional life and my personal life. I like how it reminds me that publishing is just a show I put on, and that writing is an art-form that comes from my authentic self.

In fact, I’m not sure I’ll ever write under my legal name. I’ll probably go on using the pen name I have now, or switch to a different pen name if I need to, or use my initials. At the same time, I reserve the right to go complaining about all the headaches a pen name causes. :)

What are your thoughts on, or experiences with, pen names? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.