How many of you Authors use a pen name and why?

1. 66

   Highvoltagewriterposted 10 years ago

   How many of you Authors use a pen name and why?
   
   I been thinking of using a pen name and was wondering how many Authors at HP use pen names.

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2. 93

   Billie Kelpinposted 10 years ago

   I use a pen name sometimes, mostly because of divorce. I started using "katywhowaited" here when I first started posting some old love letters from Vietnam written by my former husband to be protective of the feelings of adult children of his new family and mine who might happen upon them. Now that I'm close to 70, and they all are at the same age I was when my husband left,  I don't think I have to do that any longer. (By the way, using alternate names here is NOT a good idea even though it's allowed because it divides your statistics in half!)  Sometimes I use my old name before the divorce because I was married for almost 20 years, and that name is on a lot of my writing.
   
   For the children's book I recently published, I used this name (my maiden name) because I had some kind of nostalgic feeling of wanting to go back to my roots. (It's also "prettier" than if I use my new husband's name). 
   
   I use another COMPLETELY different name when I quote myself (tee hee) on facebook - especially if it's political or if I want it to sound like a "real quote" from someone important.  I use the initials jd with a last name for that because a man still seems to have more credibility than a woman I think.  I especially write only my truest politically left ideas with that moniker because I have dear, dear friends who are very conservative leaning in politics and religion who would be offended by my viewpoints.  I love them dearly and understand their viewpoints, but would offend them with mine.
   My favorite story about my multiple identities is the time when I was writing a comment on a comment at Huffington Post. I really  was totally in sync with everything this person was saying. Just as I was reveling in the fact that 'FINALLY, I found a soulmate in my thinking,' I looked up and figured out that "Katy" who had posted the comment I was commenting on was ME. (It's nice to know you have a fan club, even if it's only you.)

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3. 84

   M. T. Dremerposted 10 years ago

   I usually use a pen name when I'm writing under a significantly different genre. For example, my hubs differ from my fiction writing, so I have two different names. And, if I write something outside the speculative fiction genres, I'll probably come up with a third. Part of it is anonymity and part of it is just making it easier for the reader to find what they're looking for. It's not a requirement, but it helps marketing yourself as a brand.

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   1. 66

      Highvoltagewriterposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I never look at it like that, but I can see your point in developing a brand name.

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4. 75

   Emmyboyposted 10 years ago

   I use a pen name in all my writings. The same pen name I'm using here on hubpages is the same I'm using in all my published works.
   
   I love pen names because of the seeming anonymity behind it or maybe it's just to satisfy the need to have an alter ego.

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   1. 93

      Billie Kelpinposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      ah, that's really how I feel as well. The anonymity provides a certain freedom of expression.

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5. 77

   travel_man1971posted 10 years ago

   I am using a pen name on my hubs featuring most of my travels and adventures, as travel_man1971. And I do use another pen name, as thesailor, for my hubs on seafaring, where I published an eBook based from it @ amazon.com.
   But I'm still proud of my real name, Ireno Alcala and use it in  my blogs on Facebook.

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   1. 66

      Highvoltagewriterposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I use a pen name and my real name at HP and I plan to use another for the book I writing. Has it caused any problems for you using different names?

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