Comments on: How to Create a Pen Name

By: SC

SC — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:43:40 +0000

Hmmm, Suzanne Capleton.
I like it.

By: hannah

hannah — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 05:34:41 +0000

This pen name, Hannah Wicklow, was born out of what my Heart finds lovely and beautiful! I’ve always thought that the name “Hannah” was beautiful and I love it’s meaning of “grace/gracious.” Wicklow is in reference to the most beautiful place I have ever seen (at least in pictures and hope to visit someday), which is the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. So, my “formula” was favorite name for the first name (depending on what gender you prefer to write in) and favorite place for a last name (city, state, country, landmark, etc.). Another name could be “Rose Austin”, “Katherine Dublin”, “Noel London”, or “Audrey Paris”. Yeah, just totally random but so many choices! Look at a baby name book and then look at a globe and you’ll have so many ideas that it will be hard to even “narrow it down”!

By: I.M.Free

I.M.Free — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:22:19 +0000

The basis how I created my pen name was what I wanted to become of myself and what I wanted to share of myself. It was a long time process of self-exploration…read more at http://www.lifeilive.info/blog/creating-my-pen-name-how-and-why.html

By: S. Megan Payne

S. Megan Payne — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:54:00 +0000

The pet and street would leave me with Hamlet Rio Secco. Boy, would I be in trouble if I used that! LOL Haven’t found anything I really like. I used to want to go with Megan Pennworthy, but I decided it didn’t really fit with the fiction I’m getting myself into now. And that left me with… Hmm… Considering my first name Shannon, and my middle name Megan (I hate Meg, but like Megs, but can you imagine that on a book cover? :shudders:), and the fact that I seriously want to distance myself from a book I self-published once… I really need to figure something out.

By: Ryan T

Ryan T — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:44:39 +0000

I can actually open up a bank account useing the Pen name as the business name and the writer as the account signer. My bank in az does not require any paper work to set this type of account up just a valid DL or state id or passport. The account will be opened under the writers social number. Any questions feel to to contact me via rthayer@tcfbank.com

Thank You
Ryan

By: Andy Bee

Andy Bee — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:40:11 +0000

I’m constantly surprised when I travel up and down (the UK) and see signposts for towns with oddly familiar names.
Latterly I saw Felton (Tom Felton – Draco Malfoy) Elton (Reg Dwight’s alter-ego) Lansbury (Angla Lansbury). There are scores of others – makes me wonder if actors and musicians pick their names from Road Atlases.

There’s an old joke that involves picking your film star name by using your first pet’s name followed by your street name. That would make me Harry St. Godric which I thought would help me to stand out all right, but would cause carpal tunnel syndrome at the book signing…

By: The Procrastinating Writer

The Procrastinating Writer — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:07:32 +0000

@Sharon Smith I have a pretty common name, too (my first name). Anytime I go anywhere…the doctor, the grocery store, work, school, anywhere…there’s always someone else named Jennifer.

I’ve developed quite a following under my real name (due to this blog), so I had the same thought as you did–will using a pen name help me at all? I’ve decided, however, that I want to keep my fiction work and my non-fiction work separate, so a pen name works well for that.

By: Sharon Smith

Sharon Smith — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:54:39 +0000

I have such a common name it is almost humorous. I show up at any appointment and have to give my birth date to verify they pulled the correct Sharon Smith file. I have been contemplating using a pen name for my first book, but wasn’t sure if that would help with the name recognition I have been working on as of late through my “platform.”

By: The Procrastinating Writer

The Procrastinating Writer — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:55:43 +0000

@HD Silversmith What a great pen name! I like that you broke it down and showed where you got your name from.

My pen name is Elle Riley–Elle is my favorite girl’s name and Riley is part of my street name.

@Wendy I’m not 100 percent on the answer to your question (time for me to do some research!)…but my guess would be, it’s like using a DBA (doing business as) to open the bank account. You are “doing business as” your pen name, but your real name is Wendy. Many businesses use DBAs, as well.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:06:25 +0000

I have been contemplating using a pen name for awhile, but I had a question about how you get paid and put the money in the bank with a pen name? Or does it matter as long as you are clear with the company that publishes it?

Thanks! Wendy