Hello, my pretties!
Few decisions feel as oddly personal as choosing an author name. Deciding whether to use your own, a variation of your real name, or an entirely different pen name can feel loaded with meaning.
Let's gently remove some of that pressure.
A pen name is not a disguise. It's a tool.
Writers use pen names for many reasons: to separate genres, to manage reader expectations, to protect privacy, or simply to create a fresh start. None of these reasons are wrong, and none are compulsory.
As I explore a new pen name this year, I'm reminded that the best choices tend to be practical rather than poetic. Last time I mentioned I was researching genre, and today we will explore how important that research is for choosing a pen name. By the way, I finally settled on one: Mid-Life Second Chance Romantic Comedy. It’s something I’ll keep in mind as I settle on my author name.
And before we continue, one more note: There is nothing wrong with using your own name, or a version of it, when you publish. If you plan to, perhaps what follows will help you to clarify how your name will appear. For example, initials are gender neutral. Samantha might work better as Sam, and Joseph could be Jo. Your genre should dictate your choice.
What Makes a Good Pen Name?
A good pen name is easy to spell. Easy to remember. Appropriate for your genre. Something you wouldn't mind seeing repeatedly on covers, ads, and dashboards.
What it doesn't need to be is clever, meaningful, or symbolic. Those things can be nice, but clarity matters more.
Your pen name will appear in your email signature, on your book covers, in Amazon search results, and on reader recommendation lists. It needs to work in all those contexts without causing confusion. You’ll also want your name to be easy to spell and somewhat unique—“John Smith” isn’t going to be an easy author to track down, but neither will the author who has the same pen name as a popular celebrity.
When I was researching my Cozy Mystery pen name, I ran a poll in a Cozy reader Facebook group to help me decide between Pen Cress, Penny Cress, P.D. Cress, and the winner, Penelope Cress. The inspiration came from the street I lived on; it was nothing sentimental nor overly clever.
I have learned a lot more about the importance of a good pen name since then.
The Timing Question
One of the biggest mistakes new writers make is rushing this decision and choosing a name before they fully understand their genre, their audience, or their long-term goals.
You don't need to decide your author name before you finish your draft or even before you edit it. Pen names work best when they support your future, not when they're chosen in a moment of publishing urgency. I've watched writers agonize over pen names for weeks, creating elaborate spreadsheets and polling friends, when they haven't yet figured out if they're writing Sweet Romance or Steamy. But those subgenres may affect the name your readers expect to read on the cover.
The genre needs to come first. The name should follow.
Right now, I'm sitting with a shortlist of five possibilities. None of them feel quite right yet, but that's okay. I'm letting them marinate while I continue my genre research.
Genre Matters More Than You Think
You shouldn’t decide on your pen name before you decide which genre you’re writing, but once you’ve landed on a genre, use it to inform your decision. Look at author names in your genre. Notice patterns. Certain rhythms repeat for a reason. Names signal things to readers, whether or not we intend them to.
Romance authors tend toward softer-sounding names. Thriller authors favor sharper consonants. Cozy Mystery authors often have first names that feel friendly and approachable. These aren't rules, but they're patterns worth noticing.
When I browse best-selling Contemporary Romance, I see a lot of two-syllable first names paired with surnames that roll off the tongue. Compare that to Psychological Thrillers, where you'll find more surnames that sound serious or slightly unsettling.
Your name doesn't have to follow these patterns, but knowing they exist helps you make an informed choice. Remember, a pen name isn't just a label; it is a branding tool.
Readers make split-second assumptions based on a name before they even read the blurb. If your name creates “cognitive dissonance,” or a mismatch between expectation and reality, it may hurt sales.
The Practical Bits
You can write under any name you want, but you'll receive payments under your legal name. If you're publishing through Amazon KDP, you'll set up your account with your legal information, then choose your author name separately. Some writers create formal pen names through legal processes. Most don't need to. A pen name is simply the name under which you publish.
Be sure to write your pen name the same way each time on each new project; if you include a middle initial on one project but not the next, for example, you may confuse readers or create extra work for yourself to ensure your projects link correctly on Amazon or other bookseller sites.
If you write in wildly different genres, especially genres with different heat levels, separate pen names can protect reader trust. I'm keeping my Cozy Mystery name separate from this Romance venture because the audiences are genuinely different. But don't create multiple pen names just because you can. Each one requires separate marketing and separate reader communities, which will add to your workload. Consider whether you’ll have time to dedicate to a new pen name and how much crossover your books’ audiences will have as you make your decision.
Remember This
When choosing a pen name, you are not choosing a mask. You are choosing a signpost. And signposts can change if the road changes.
Pen names can evolve. Books can be republished. Careers can pivot. Your pen name matters, but it's not a prison sentence. Choose something that feels workable and that won't make you cringe in five years. Be sure your pen name serves your books rather than trying to be the books.
Reflection Exercise
Take some time with these questions:
- Why might I want to use a pen name?
- What qualities would I want my author name to suggest: masculine or feminine, cozy or edgy, historic or cutting edge?
- How easily would my readers be able to find me with my name? Is it difficult to spell? Too common? Does another author or celebrity come up when I search that name on Google?
- Will my name resonate with my potential readers?
- When do I need to decide? For example, what is my release timeline? You will need to decide on a name before you commission or finalize covers, but also think about how soon you will need to start promoting your books on newsletter swaps, social media, reader groups, and the like. Do you need to build an author website? You will need to decide on your name before you embark on any of these activities.
Reality Check-In
I have a spreadsheet. Of course I have a spreadsheet, not that I know how to do anything too fancy with it. I have come up with five potential pen names, each with pros and cons listed in adjacent columns. I've tested them in mock Amazon searches, said them aloud repeatedly, and imagined them on book covers.
Three of them feel too cutesy. One feels too serious. The fifth is growing on me, but I'm not committing yet. I want to finish at least three more romance reads before I lock anything in, because I'm still learning what signals different names send in this genre.
My working theory is that I'll land on something simple, memorable, and slightly warmer than my Cozy Mystery name. But we'll see. Sometimes the right answer sneaks up on you when you stop trying to force it.
Happy writing,
Susan
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