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What’s in a Name? The Benefits and Drawbacks of Using a Pen Name
It’s something all writers ponder at some point
For as long as people have been writing, some authors have chosen to use a pseudonym, more commonly called a pen name. The list of famous authors who wrote under a pen name is long and distinguished; in many cases you know the pen name better than the real name even after the real name is finally revealed. For example, while everyone knows that Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel L. Clemens, it is the pen name that lives on. And did you even know that George Orwell was the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair? Or that Lemony Snicket is the pen name of Daniel Handler?
There are as many reasons for this as there are authors who use them, but there have always been a few main reasons a writer chose to essentially hide their identity. Though some of these are not as prevalent as in days past, the following reasons still apply today.
1. Not wanting friends or family to know what they are writing. This can happen with new writers who aren’t completely comfortable with their work being out in the world and fear ridicule or rejection; using a pen name at least shields them from critical family members. If they write erotica or something controversial, it’s a safe way to avoid scandalizing grandma and getting a stern…
