How Writers Should Choose Their Pseudonyms
- By: BookEnds | Date: Aug 12 2020
Struggling with creating a pseudonym? Jessica and James did a wonderful video on the BookEnds YouTube channel, speaking on how writers should go about this important detail of their author brand.
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Great video, guys! I just started pitching my first novel to agents after publishing nine nonfiction books (five of which were for kids). I have had a pen name picked out for more than 50 years, ever since I was a child and decided to be an author. When you discussed making sure that the pen name was a name you like and would want to be called, I realized that I didn’t want to be called by that first name!
My reason for a pseudonym is to separate my fiction from my nonfiction, especially the kiddy lit. So I am going to do what you suggested and just use my maiden name. My website is already under just my first name, so I don’t need to change that. I have both names on my Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, and I even have some personal IDs with the old name on it. Simple!
Thanks!
Best advice I ever got was to keep your first name – or a first name you easily answer to. That way when you are at a book/writing event you will respond when someone says your name 🙂
Answered many questions. Thank you. Love your sites.
[…] the wisdom and utility than ever. Literary agents Jessica Faust and McGowan have some great tips on how writers should go about choosing their pseudonyms and why publishers may ask you to adopt […]
This was a wonderfully informative and comforting piece. I am so glad I listened to it thank you Jessica and James. This issue has worried me so over the course of the last year, and has at times hampered me in my writing and sending the work out. I feel much more relaxed that a decision can be made at the point of interest of an agent and publisher, and all the worrying was not necessary. Thank yo not only for the information , but the style and relaxed nature of the presentation.
Thanks for all the info! Super interesting all this from an agent’s point of view rather than an individual author’s.