The Inner Debate of Pen-Name

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Rags99

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Guy Gavriel Kay (personal fave of mine) is another example for you.

Both Kay and Southwell are great names, either is a good choice.

If you wanted to use Steph. There is a Latin version Stephania (Ste-FON-ya) which I always liked.

I like my name and my friends seems to like saying it. It is different, flows nicely and you dont hear it ever. I have had many cashiers, teachers, read my name off a credit card or computer and ask me about its background and proper pronunciation. They tell me its nice.
 

Bufkus

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Let's swap names. You go by Bufkus Jones and I'll go by S. Kay Southwell. I need a female pen name for all the girly books I want to write~

(I'm kidding of course, I know Strawberrii from another forum)
 

harmonyisarine

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I will definitely publish under a penname, mostly because I hope to claw my way back into academia and it will be an easy way to keep my academic writings apart from my fictional ones. Even if I fully link the two, someone who wants my science history can search for one name and not get distracted by spillover from the other.

I know what I want my penname to be (pulling from my maternal grandmother's family history), but I don't know if I want to use just initials or the whole chosen first name. I write fantasy, and have heard/read a lot of information that says feminine names don't get bought as often as masculine ones.
 

Faye-M

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I always wanted to publish my work under my first name, middle initial, and last name. I've signed all my work that way since I was 5 and wrote Rainbow Brite and Bobbsey Twins fan fiction. I've pictured it on the covers of my future novels for as long as I can remember.

Unfortunately, my initials spell FML, which has become a rather popular and extremely negative acronym, so... now I'm not sure. I hate the thought of using a pseudonym. I love my name, I think it looks beautiful in print, and I've been telling people my whole life that I want to be a writer someday, so slapping some name on my books that means nothing to me or anyone I know would be very disappointing. There is already a writer/motivational speaker who uses my first and last names, so the middle initial seems important. Stupid internet, abusing my poor initials... :(
 
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Jamesaritchie

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I always wanted to publish my work under my first name, middle initial, and last name. I've signed all my work that way since I was 5 and wrote Rainbow Brite and Bobbsey Twins fan fiction. I've pictured it on the covers of my future novels for as long as I can remember.

Unfortunately, my initials spell FML, which has become a rather popular and extremely negative acronym, so... now I'm not sure. I hate the thought of using a pseudonym. I love my name, I think it looks beautiful in print, and I've been telling people my whole life that I want to be a writer someday, so slapping some name on my books that means nothing to me or anyone I know would be very disappointing. There is already a writer/motivational speaker who uses my first and last names, so the middle initial seems important. Stupid internet, abusing my poor initials... :(


My initials spell JAR. I don't worry about it. I don't think readers will worry about yours, either.
 

IdrisG

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I've just realized the most valid reason for my using a pseudo: my given name is the designation for a genre/category that I don't write. I figure it would be confusing for potential readers.

It would be like picking up a novel by Dystopia Billingsley only to find out it was a Jane Austen facsimile.
 

Mr Flibble

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Exsqueeze me for asking but what in heck is negative about FML? Coming up blank (and google is giving some odd but not especially offensive things)


I was going to publish (my first novel) under my first two initials and my surname

Turns out those are used by someone at least half famous for...let's put this kindly...on a different spiritual plane to the rest of us. She channels a 30,000 year old warrior.

Although to be fair she's donated a fuck ton of money

Still, it seemed the association might not be for the best.
 

TessB

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Mr. Flibble: I'm assuming it's F*** My Life.

I don't think that would be my first association at all, unless I saw all three as just initials in a row, tbh. On a license plate, definitely. On a book cover with a surname? No.
 

Faye-M

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Mr. Flibble: I'm assuming it's F*** My Life.

I don't think that would be my first association at all, unless I saw all three as just initials in a row, tbh. On a license plate, definitely. On a book cover with a surname? No.

Yes, it's F*** My Life. For a while there, everywhere I went online, people were starting blog posts with that acronym. There was a website by that name just for gripers to gripe, too (I believe it's still there). It got incredibly depressing for a while. The umpteenth time a friend of mine titled her post with it, I commented in a jokey way that I always did a double-take when she did that, thinking for a second the post was directed at me. I noticed she used it less after that.

Haven't you noticed, though, that people call J.K. Rowling "JKR" when discussing online? Most authors are referred to by their initials in online discussions. It just bugs me that my initials have become so synonymous with whining about one's life. Which I suppose is what I'm doing right now.

FML. :p
 

WriteMinded

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Unfortunately, my initials spell FML, which has become a rather popular and extremely negative acronym, so... now I'm not sure. I hate the thought of using a pseudonym. I love my name, I think it looks beautiful in print, and I've been telling people my whole life that I want to be a writer someday, so slapping some name on my books that means nothing to me or anyone I know would be very disappointing. There is already a writer/motivational speaker who uses my first and last names, so the middle initial seems important. Stupid internet, abusing my poor initials... :(
My mother's initials were BM. How'd ya like to have that?

Keep your name.

Exsqueeze me for asking but what in heck is negative about FML? Coming up blank (and google is giving some odd but not especially offensive things)

I was going to publish (my first novel) under my first two initials and my surname

Turns out those are used by someone at least half famous for...let's put this kindly...on a different spiritual plane to the rest of us. She channels a 30,000 year old warrior.

Although to be fair she's donated a fuck ton of money

Still, it seemed the association might not be for the best.
On the other hand, it might work in your favor. :D I wish I could channel some ancient warriors.
 

lise8

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I read an interview with Tracy Chevalier (One of my favourite authors), and she said she regretted not using a pseudonym, for peace and privacy reasons.

I for one will choose the go for the pseudonym route because some of my writing could be seen as controversial, and I am happy to stand behind what I write, but I have children, and a husband, and I don't want what I write to affect them by relation (If I ever get published, that is!). And as you said:

Then I realize that people KNOW I want to be a writer, and if I publish under a certain name and announce my happiness, then they'll know anyway.
 

gettingby

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There is nothing like seeing your name in print. I will never forget the first time I did. It was a small article in a newspaper, but, above it, there was my name. It felt surreal and like I had made it. From that story being published, I went on to have a career in journalism. And every time I wrote something I was really proud of, it was great to have my name attached to it. I wouldn't have wanted to change that for the world.

I imagine the feeling in multiplied for seeing your name on the cover of a book. That is not something I would be willing to give up. If it has been a dream to see your name in print, do you really want to give that up? I know this is a personal decision, but really think about it.
 
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