Should I Write Under a Pen Name?

Samuel Clemens became Mark Twain. Stephen King wrote as Richard Bachman. Anne Rice wrote as A. N. Roquelaure, Dean Koontz was also Aaron Wolfe. Even Benjamin Franklin had his alter ego, Alice Addertongue. There are a number of reasons you may wish to write under a pen name. Perhaps you're writing erotica and don't want the people you work with to know it's you writing. Perhaps you want to write in multiple genres but feel your readers wouldn't overlap. Whatever the reason, if you do choose to write under a pen name, carefully consider what name you choose. You may want to make sure:

• There is not already someone famous with the name
• That you can obtain the domain you want for the author website
• That your chosen name fits with what you'll be writing

If you truly need to shield your real name from the world, you may want to set up a publishing company or website to handle the eBook publishing. You'll even want to make sure your WHOIS data reflects your pen name and not your real name, or pay the extra when you purchase your domain to keep WHOIS information private. Many famous authors started out writing under an assumed name with extraordinary success. Maybe it will bring you luck, too!