Comments on: How to Create a Pen Name

By: Maude Prepson

Maude Prepson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:55:34 +0000

I use Maude Prepson which is actually an anagram for three different words. Try and figure out what they are

By: Nick Haynes

Nick Haynes — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:18:05 +0000

Ok so I was thinking about some different pen names!
- pierce halliwell
- Phoenix halliwell
- Samuel chamberlain
Email me ur answer! Nicholashaynes12@yahoo.com

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:42:37 +0000

@Nomface As far as I know there aren’t laws around what your name can be, especially a pen name. But you should keep in mind that your pen name needs to be 1) easy to remember (people need to be able to remember who you are in order to find you/buy your books) and 2) should be something you can comfortably and confidently build a platform around (if you choose a bad name a few years down the road you may want to change it and then you’ll have to start back at square one). Other than that I say choose whatever name you love. Good luck!

By: Nomface

Nomface — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:28:28 +0000

Hi. I have been doing my book for six months now and have gotten over halfway through. I am near publishing and want to know: Is it okay to use a random pen name?
If I do, is there any legal difficulties that would stop me?
I am thinking the name “Daisuke Takoyaki” (I love you fried squid. LOL)
I am obviously whit so the name would standout, true?
I am in Australia, so, any Australian law stopping me using that name?

By: Slee

Slee — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:12:59 +0000

I keep wanting to use something like Strange for the last name. Lizzy Strange. Haha, but of course, I’m a nerd and will likely keep something very close to that with which I was born.

By: Carey

Carey — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:44:56 +0000

I am writing a romance novel, but only my friends know about it. The truth is, I’m kind of ashamed to show it to anyone especially my family, since I usually write more meaningful sentiments. I am trying to come up with a pen name to use, to keep it slightly more anonymous.

I love the name Carey, after my favourite actress (Carey Mulligan), but I am stuck on a last name.

Any suggestions?

I have tried street names and pet names, but they didn’t really work. I love names like “Jane Austen” and “George Orwell”, so I am looking for a kind of old fashioned but catchy last name that is easily recognizable and memorable.

Please help! Thanks in advance!

By: Yvonna

Yvonna — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:48:47 +0000

Well, my name is somewhat unique but I feel too embarrassed to use it in writing. My first name, Yvonna, obviously, is somewhat ‘odd’ and memorable while my last name is plain. Hence me and my 6 siblings: Ada, Titus, Claudius, Thaddeus, Terracina, and lucky youngest Jacob. Plus, I get embarrassed when writing that someone in my ‘real’ professional job will recognize me or link my fictional writing to my scientific writing (which by the way if you have a unique name it makes Google Search much more telling; even my middle name is strange: Ulina so can’t use that). I like to remain completely anonymous in real life as a fiction writer but fear some day, especially if my dreams of making a bestseller (not even close) come true, being found out. Too hard to hide in todays world.

By: heidi

heidi — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 07:00:55 +0000

i’ve recently came upon the pen name kenneth memorized (no capitals). my brothers middle name and a word that i constantly think about.

By: Isabella Lopes

Isabella Lopes — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 01:59:09 +0000

I hate the fact that there isn’t anything very appealing to my surname, and although I do love my first name, it’s very hard to couple it with a surname that will make it sound cool and interesting. So I thought of Sophie Kellam. I really like the name Sophie and Kellam is a surname that I wish to have Also I thought of only changing my last name so that it’d be Isabella Thorpe (a character from Jane Austen’s “Northanger Abbey”), however this isn’t a particularly nice character as she is one of Austen’s “female devils”. I have even considered Luisa Denham, my sister’s second name and part of my street. I will list the other possibilities me and my mum have thought up of together with the
ones already mentioned:

Sophie Kellam
Isabella Thorpe
Luisa Denham
Isabella Robinson (my mum insists on having something “English”)
Marina Rose (this is absolutely random, it’s a name written across a T-shirt from H&M)
Elizabeth Drinkhall (my best friend’s middle name and my other best friend’s surname)
Catherine Yorkshire
Hayley Morland
Avril Whittacker

Some of these names (especially the last one) came to me as I was writing them. I am open to any suggestions. The genre of book(s) is children’s fiction, and what I’d like to call dream-related (the latter is a story based upon an interesting dream).

Regards,

Isabella

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:39:08 +0000

@Dave You don’t have to register it you just use it like you would your real name (other than for legal purposes, obviously!). What you do need to do, however, is create an author persona for your names. Think about a website or Facebook/Twitter account to help people get to know who you are as an author. You will want to take on the pen name for when you publish, when you do book signings, etc.