A fictitious name an author publishes under instead of their real name, used for privacy, branding, or genre separation.
A pen name is a false name that an author uses on their published work instead of their legal name. Writers adopt pen names for all sorts of reasons: to maintain privacy, to write in multiple genres without confusing readers, to overcome bias based on gender or ethnicity, or simply because their real name is hard to spell or already taken. A pen name is a professional tool, not a disguise. Some of the most famous authors in history published under names that weren't their own.
Your author name is a brand. It appears on every cover, in every interview, and on every royalty check. Choosing whether to use your real name or a pen name is one of the first business decisions you'll make as a writer. A pen name lets you control the narrative around your identity, keep your personal life separate from your public one, or build distinct reader bases for different genres without crossover confusion.
Rowling published her crime fiction under Robert Galbraith to see how the book would be received purely on its own merit, without the weight of her famous name.
Evans adopted a male pen name to ensure her work would be taken seriously in an era when female authors were dismissed as writers of mere romances.
Hinton used her initials so that male readers wouldn't dismiss a gritty novel about teenage boys written by a woman. She was 16 when the book was published.
Handler created Lemony Snicket as a full fictional persona and narrator, blurring the line between pen name and character.
Search your proposed pen name thoroughly. Check Amazon, Goodreads, and social media. You don't want readers confusing you with someone else, and you definitely don't want legal trouble.
Talk to a tax professional about how to receive payments under a pen name. You may need a DBA ('doing business as') filing or a separate business entity. Sort this out before your first royalty payment arrives.
Avoid names that are also common words, place names, or brands. 'Rose Garden' might sound lovely, but try searching for it. Your pen name needs to be findable.
With enough effort, most pen names can be traced back to real identities. If privacy is critical, consult a lawyer about the steps needed to truly separate your pen name from your legal identity.
Create three potential pen names for yourself, each suited to a different genre. For each, search online to make sure the name isn't already taken by another author. Check that matching social media handles and domain names are available. Write a short author bio for one of the pen names as if you were already published under it.