How to change your author name to a pen name when selfpublishing. Im 14, im writing a book about my life but with different names and locations so people dont know its me. How would this work if the author plans to publish him or herself. Apr 29, 2008 12 thoughts on why do authors use pseudonyms. Setting up a kindle book project with a fake author name is easy, so it wont matter but what if people like the book and start searching for the name. I want to know what the professional name is for when a writer does this. Rowling published a new novel under a fake name in april. What are the pros and cons of writing under a pen name. How to use real people in your writing without ending up. Jk rowling publishes crime novel under false name this article is more than 6 years old the cuckoos calling was released in april using pseudonym robert galbraith. War veteran bill spence writes as jessica blair, and lawrence block writes under a number of both female and male pseudonyms. Generate names, addresses, social security numbers, credit card numbers, occupations, ups tracking numbers, and more absolutely free. Writing under a male name makes you eight times more.
If you are publishing with kindle direct publishing kdp, using a pen name on amazon is very easy. Amazons kindle direct publishing and smashwords self publishing. Often, writing under a pseudonym is as easy as putting the phrase writing as on your manuscript. May 12, 2009 as well as for publicity purposes, they get to remain regular people longer if their picture isnt associated with their writing name. I have a short story in a book of fiction thats a fake news article about a famous radio talk show host. Especially when writing a novel or a series of stories, coming up with a fitting name for each member of your cast can be surprisingly difficult and time consuming. The money gets deposited into your checking account under your real name.
Ben franklin used this practice extensively, and when he used a pen name, he often created an. If youre selfpublishing a book, you can definitely use a pseudonym when writing and publishing your book. This is done by signing contracts with the publisheragent using the real name corresponding to the pen name. If your name is lacey darling and youre writing a spy thriller, having a cooler name might influence just enough early buyers to make a difference. Jan 02, 20 very few people actually operate professionally and successfully under a pen name. For its publication king rewrote, edited, and updated the entire novel. Operating under a pen name requires full commitment and even then can get confusing at times. Aug 06, 2015 culture books news writing under a male name makes you eight times more likely to get published, one female author finds. Many writers use pen namesbut theres a right way and a wrong way to publish your book, stories, poems, or essays under a pseudonym. Sep 26, 2014 but i got to thinking recently and wondered.
How to use a fake name on facebook without getting flagged. If youre writing about somebody whose real name is ed sikov, dont change his name to ted bikoff. Feb 08, 2018 why do some writers choose to write under a pen name. Jk rowling publishes crime novel under false name books. On the flip side, though, taking a pen name for the wrong reasons could hurt you if you dont think carefully and strategically about why youre publishing under a different name. Rowling called writing under the pen name of robert galbraith such a liberating experience.
Aug, 2015 can i publish kindle books under a pen name. This is a common question that i get, with a fairly simple answer. I dont know how the publisher would take advantage of you. Andrews intended to publish under her given name, virginia andrews, but was told that, due to a production error, her first novel. Hi, i think the first thing to ask yourself is why you want to write under a pen name at all. Whats it called when a writer writes under another name. Facebook has always had a policy of requiring users to supply their real name on the site. All you need to do is add your new name as the authors name in the contributors section when you are preparing the book for publication. Your contract with the publisher or agent will be under your real name.
Charles dodgson was a mathematician and anglican deacon who possibly wanted to distance himself from his hobby of writing nonsense literature and childrens stories. Writers use pseudonyms for a variety of reasons, and many successful. In a book, can i mentioned the real name of the airport but change the name of the school and its owners. So i want to use a fake name for my book, not my real name. Jul 14, 20 jk rowling publishes crime novel under false name this article is more than 6 years old the cuckoos calling was released in april using pseudonym robert galbraith. Credit will go to your pseudonym, as that is the name under which critics, book stores, and readers will.
How to publish under a pen name or fake name and still hold book. By definition, a pen name it is not considered ones legal name. How to publish under a pen name or fake name and still hold. How to publish under a pen name or fake name and still. Sep 22, 2014 a pen name can serve you well, it can be a great tool to give you more control over your professional options in the publishing world. I know that one name for it is a pen name but there is another one that is a special word for it. If you use your real name and verify it with credit card details, you get a real name badge that. With 37 languages and 31 countries, the fake name generator is the most advanced name generator on the internet. Im not saying that there may not be good reasons, stephen king used richard bachman to see if people were reading his books for his name or whether they were. Reading the article made me think about my own challenges in writing memoir, and got me thinking more about writing memoir under a fake name. Amazons kindle direct publishing and smashwords self publishing program both want your real name and tax id, such as social security number, for tax purpos. I think the first thing to ask yourself is why you want to write under a pen name at all.
Culture books news writing under a male name makes you eight times more likely to get published, one female author finds. Their decision to write and become an author under a pen name contributed. Jun 22, 2011 is it possible for me to publish a book under a fake name without my family knowing. Kickstart your writing career with this pen name generator that boasts over 1 million fake names. Mar 29, 2019 writers have adopted pseudonyms or pen names to disguise themselves for a number of reasons. Discussion in marketing started by porcupine, mar 1.
Several people have asked me why i dont just write my memoir using a pseudonym. Now recovering from surgery after being shot by the militants, she is in the spotlight. A pseudonym or alias is a name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which. Or perhaps they want to test their skills by publishing. Writing stack exchange is a question and answer site for the craft of professional writing, including fiction, nonfiction, technical, scholarly, and commercial writing. In the article, botton expresses her concerns with writing about people who are still alive. Before you begin muttering to yourself that you absolutely had no idea at all and start feeling deceived, understand that these authors must have had legitimate reasons for publishing under their fake names. Using different author names or a pseudonym as a writer. If youd like to write or publish something under a different name, there. No matter what name you publish under if you are paid legitimately for your work, the irs will have to get your real name from the tax forms you fill out with amazon or any other book seller. Very few people actually operate professionally and successfully under a pen name. Working with amazon author pen names publishing with kindle. Other areas of concern if youre writing a true crime novel or a story based on a real crime, be absolutely sure you get your facts right.
Jun 08, 2010 if youre writing a novel under a pen nameand youre querying a literary agenttheres a right way and a wrong way to use your pen name in your query letter and on your manuscript pages. Is it possible for me to publish a book under a fake name. I also have a few neutral reasons that are a bit sticky, like obscuring your gender. Established authors will do it to cross genres and keep from aggravating their fan bases. Facebook wont let you have personal accounts under fake names. The answer is yes, you can publish a kindle book under a pen name. I have a short story in a book of fiction thats a fake news article about a famous radio talk. Are there consequences for shipping under a pseudonym. Sep, 2014 how to use real people in your writing without ending up in court.
Is it possible for me to publish a book under a fake name without my family knowing. How to use real people in your writing without ending up in court. How not to get sued when writing about real people. Authors write under pseudonyms, or pen names, for a variety of reasons. And authors can always selfpublish books between big releases. Trade publishers are notoriously wary of using the same author name across different genres, or of using a name that they feel is inappropriate for a particular book hence the morphing of joanne rowling into the more masculine j k rowling, even though she doesnt have a middle name.
In fact, its far more difficult to name yourself than to name a character when youre writing novels. Your amazon pen name can be your real name and an amazon real name, see below or a pseudonym. As well as for publicity purposes, they get to remain regular people longer if their picture isnt associated with their writing name. Why do some writers choose to write under a pen name. This also works the other way, and there are men writing as women in the romance genre. Should you use a pseudonym, cool fake name generator. Whether youre having your first go at nanowrimo, or youre an experienced writer in need of a quick name for that minor player youve just thought up, we aim to bring some inspiration. If youre writing a novel under a pen nameand youre querying a literary agenttheres a right way and a wrong way to use your pen name in your query letter and on your manuscript pages. Im a ghostwriter, so the work i do for clients usually appears with them as the only author. Generate names, addresses, social security numbers, credit card numbers, occupations. Using different author names or a pseudonym as a writer the. Pakistani schoolgirl malala yousafzai came to public attention with a bbc diary about life under the taliban.
For articles, short stories, and poetry, you can simply put your real name in the upper left corner of your manuscript or on the cover page, and list your pen name as your byline beneath the title. Pen name generator choose from over a million pen names. In this video stefan answers a question he commonly gets such as if one can publish a kindle book under a pen name. Then again, if you normally write an urban fantasy series and want to try your hand at romance, you might start writing under a different name. Sometimes authors use a pseudonym that is easier to spell and remember. Similarly, tv actor ronnie barker submitted comedy material under the name gerald wiley. Writing under a fictitious name was a very common practice in the eighteenth century, when writers and journalists used pseudonyms to pen controversial or even illegal articles and letters to the editor. In the fake article, people commit outrageous crimes while listening to her show. Dec 02, 2019 are there consequences for shipping under a pseudonym. Rowling called writing under the pen name of robert galbraith such a. Journal retracts letter accusing physicist of using fake names to criticize papers. Jul 27, 2015 how not to get sued when writing about real people.
It was published in 2007 under the bachman pseudonym, with a foreword by king under his own name. Helen sedwick, a writer for the book designer, cleared up all of my questions in her article should you be using a pen name. Im not saying that there may not be good reasons, stephen king used richard bachman to see if people were reading his books for his name or whether they were actually good in their own right, but generally speaking i think they are unnecessary. Apr 11, 2019 there are many reasons that you may see a name on a piece of writing thats not the name of the person who actually wrote the material. Even if they love the book, they wont share it or comment on it, because its just a book, and they cant forge a relationship with a book. There are various reasons why authors have decided to publish under a pseudonym, both in the. If the authors name is hard to remember or is unusual. Examples include watty piper, victor appleton, erin hunter, and kamiru m. A collective pseudonym may represent an entire publishing house, or any contributor to a longrunning series, especially with juvenile literature. Whenever fiction writers ask for my advice about pseudonyms, theyre usually wondering.
May i assume you want to selfpublish and it will be your first book. Pseudonym, pen name or alias authors have been writing under names other than their own for centuries, and their reasons for doing so differ from writer to writer. Blaze was, in fact, an unpublished novel of kings written before carrie or the creation of richard bachman. Lets be honest, we all want to keep our privacy, and, sometimes, for whatever reason, we may be thinking of receiving mail or a package under a pseudonym. French is a fake name used by a writer when writing and publishing their work.
Their decision to write and become an author under a pen name contributed to their individual sweet success in some way, and it all. Writing under a male name makes you eight times more likely. Catherine nichols received many more responses from agents as a man. If you write a book under the pen name taylor swift or derek jeter, you may be accused of. Like when steven king wrote the girl who loved tom gorden he wrote it under another name to see the reactions he got to a different style of writing. A pen name can serve you well, it can be a great tool to give you more control over your professional options in the publishing world. You can actually publish a kindle book under whatever name you want. The other issue is that you must choose your pen name carefully. Jun 19, 2008 no matter what name you publish under if you are paid legitimately for your work, the irs will have to get your real name from the tax forms you fill out with amazon or any other book seller. I know that an author can use a pen name pseudonym instead of a true name when publishing the traditional way. In this video stefan answers a question he commonly gets such as if one can publish.