Pseudonyms

Kramer

Good morning TB'ers

I was wondering if any of you have a pseudonym under which you write and, if so, how you arrived at that name? I am considering using one but am currently considering various permutations.

Have you chosen maiden names, middles names, favourite actor/musician/artist names etc. when deciding on your pseudonym?

Baggy Books

Why do you need one?

Kramer

Never really liked my first name.

Kayess

Some competitions demand that you use a pseudonym. There's at least one that demands you use a new one every time you enter. I've used my grandmother's first name and the name of the nearest park–it was a formula someone suggested to me, but don't ask me why. It seemed as good as any other.

If you don't like your first name, you could always use your initials, it never did J.K. Rowling any harm.

Lizy

I have thought of using my maiden name for a book that is very different in style from my others.

heather

I use one to differentiate between writing styles.
Pet name from childhood (which is actually a real name) plus maiden name.
Should have Googled first - also the name of a quite famous actress and a historical figure!

Phots Moll

I use my maiden name, but as I was published before I was married it isn't really a pseudonym.

Like Lizy, if I wrote something very different in style, then I'd consider using a different name.

Carol

If I'm needing a one-off name for a competition then I choose a random first name, then look at the surnames on the spines of my main reference books on my office bookcase.

My Serena Lake pseudonym took a long time to come to. I didn't want it to be too long nor too simple, and it had to suggest romance, then when I googled it there was a place- a hotel, but not another writer.

Iceni

I've used many different pseudonyms over the years for various reasons but have finally settled on my real first name because I'm just more comfortable with it. I've changed my surname because there are other writers with the same one. I'd say just choose a first name that you are comfortable with, too, and that you feel will have impact, without sounding too "made up".

There are several different reasons why people choose a pseudonym. You probably know these already but I think it's worth going over them.

One reason is mine: it's the same or similar to another writer.

You might want to appear to be the opposite sex because of the genre in which you write. J.K. Rowling was famously advised to use her initials because boys might not read her books otherwise. It's unfair that you should have to think about this but writers need to be realistic.

You might want to appear to be in a different age group, particularly if you're an older writer. Literary agents are said to be prejudiced against older writers, presumably because they think they won't get much mileage out of them. This won't apply to all of them but you don't know which ones.

If your name is Reginald Smith or Mary Thompson it might be a good idea to choose one that's a bit more memorable (Could be in trouble with that one.)

Place names are a good source for surnames. I once chose the place where I was born. I've always found the client list on the Society of Authors' website useful.

Iceni

I should add to that last bit that this is, of course, to avoid name matches or similarities.

PaigeElizabethTurner

If your name is Reginald Smith . . .it might be a good idea to choose one that's a bit more memorable. . .

Reginald Dwight would certainly agree with you there!!

Claudia

I watched a programme about Rising Damp. Don Warrington needed to change his name because it was the same as another actor, so he picked 'Warrington' the name of the road he grew up in.

I once changed to my maiden name for an article because my husband featured in it!

Liz

I think life is SO much easier if you have the same name as you are writing in. Cheques, Twitter accounts, Facebook pages (which, no matter how far are from your actual name will still throw 'you' up in the suggestions to other people who have 'liked' your author page etc. etc. If it's to distinguish between genres that seems more sensible.

Lou Treleaven

I just went from Louise to Lou as I wanted a more neutral-gendered name - and also because there are lots of Louises who are writers but not quite as many Lous. Sometimes I wish I'd used my maiden name though as Treleaven causes a lot of problems!

PaigeElizabethTurner

I just went from Louise to Lou as I wanted a more neutral-gendered name. . .

Very interesting that you say that, Lou. When I first joined this forum as a green, naive, apprentice TBer, I actually read your name as a male. I can't say exactly why, other than it came to me first as a male abbreviation rather than female - even though I have known female 'Lous'.
I mention this only to show how important it is to consider a pseudonym from a reader's perspective as well as our own.

I agree with Liz that it is so much easier to work with one name, but also see merit in using different names for different publications.

Tiny Nell

I told you to lose the beard, Lou.

scubadiver

Eric Arthur Blair isn't as memorable as George Orwell (the river Orwell is in Suffolk) and Agatha Christie used the name Mary Westmacott to publish her romance stories (it wasn't all murder!)

Lou Treleaven

* Shaves frantically *

Liz

Fran Tically, incidentally, quite a good pseudonym.

Lou Treleaven

Fran Tickly!

Claudia

Sometimes I wish I'd used my maiden name though as Treleaven causes a lot of problems!

What sort of problems, Lou? I think it's an interesting, memorable name - although I'm not sure if I pronounce it correctly. I read it as 'tree leev en'.

Liz

I always say Tr-lev-en.

dora

Fran Tickly!

Someone I know is called Mr Tickle. Can you guess the forename of Mrs Tickle?

dora

I always say Tr-lev-en.

So do I

My sister's next door's neighbour's house was named same

Lou Treleaven

Liz and Dora are right Claudia! It's just a pain to spell all the time. But I do like it.

Claudia

I stand corrected. It's because my surname - Eames - contains an 'ea' which is pronounced 'ee'. People often aren't sure how to pronounce it and I always say, 'Eames as in dreams...'

Lou Treleaven

Ah, I always say, "Treleaven as in heaven!"

Liz

You can have the simplest name and still have to explain how it's spelled, so I don't think there's any point in worrying about it. Even Smith can be Smyth or Smythe. I always have to say Brown as i the colour, l-e-e, as it could belly or lea.

Katherine can be Kathryn, or Catherine or Cathryn.

Elizabeth can be Elisabeth.

Iceni

Art E. Choke would be a good name for someone writing a gardening book.

boredrobots

I've had Steavean before :P

Iceni

I'm puzzled.