A false name used by an author in place of their real name, often for privacy, branding, or to write across multiple genres.
A pseudonym is a fictitious name that a person adopts for a particular purpose, and in publishing, it means the name printed on the book instead of the author's legal name. The word comes from Greek: 'pseudos' (false) and 'onyma' (name). While 'pen name' is the more casual English term, 'pseudonym' is the formal one you'll encounter in contracts, copyright filings, and publishing industry conversations. The practice is ancient and extremely common. Some estimates suggest that up to a third of published books are written under pseudonyms.
Understanding pseudonyms matters because the publishing world runs on them more than most readers realize. Whether you're negotiating a contract, registering a copyright, or simply deciding what name goes on your cover, you need to know the legal and practical implications. A pseudonym is a business decision with real consequences for branding, discoverability, and legal protection.
Dodgson, an Oxford mathematician, used a pseudonym to keep his academic life separate from his children's fiction career.
Plath originally published under Victoria Lucas because the novel was so autobiographical she didn't want her mother to know she'd written it.
While Harris uses his real name, he's so private that for years many readers suspected it was a pseudonym. His reclusiveness shows that privacy doesn't always require a fake name.
Research three famous pseudonyms in literary history and write a paragraph about each, explaining why the author chose to use a false name and what effect it had on their career. Then reflect on your own situation: would a pseudonym serve your goals? Write a short pros-and-cons list for publishing under your real name versus a pseudonym.