Why do people use pen names?

Question

Why do authors use pen names when they write? Do they not want the credit?

Answer 1

I think women used to use (male) pen names frequently so that they could write and have it more freely accepted by society.

Some use pen name because they don't like the idea of being a public figure, but have ideas that they would like to get to the public.

Lastly, I think famous authors use pen names to see if people are buying their books for the content or just because of the name. Sort of a test to see if they've still "got it".

Answer 2

Back in the day, people used pen names because they WANTED their identity to be disguised. The Brontë sisters, for example, thought they wouldn't get published at all or taken seriously as female authors. Some others used pen names for fear of violense or so they would not get harassed. More recently, authors use pen names when they write under different literary genres. If they are already known for being a very good writer of a specific genre, the pen name allows them to be able to sell their work of a different genre to publishers.

Answer 3

As others have said, Women used to use pen names because they had harder times getting published as women. It was easier to just have a man's name.

Some do it because they don't see their name as "bookworthy". Some people are shallow enough to check out books by "Zinia" over, say, Cindy. Also, Mark Twain is a lot more memorable than Samuel Clemmens.

Some writers are painfully shy. They don't like talking in front of people, some of them are even down right terrified of people. If no one knows their name, they don't show up at their door asking for an autograph.

Being anonymous is amazing. You might be rich, but no one interrupts your dinner to take pictures with you or snaps you with their camera phone while your trowsers are down in the bathroom or when you are coming out of a store without make-up or good clothes on. And you still get to collect all the prizes.

Yes, and the different genres theory is correct as well. I remember Anne Rice saying she wrote erotica books under another name. If she used Anne Rice half of the people picking it up would expect vampires. She wanted that work to stand on it's own in it's own genre. Same with Stephen King, though he was sort of writing in the same genre as Richard Bachman.

Answer 4

I want a pen name because my last name is hard to pronounce. It is the same reasons some actor and actresses change their names. So that fans can easily remember their names and say them.

Answer 5

of corse they want the credit , pen names are used for several diferent reasons. like "richard bachman " uused by stephen king ,he wanted to know if he still had that edge or if it was his name selling his books , some just dont want the public recognition ,theres reasons of finance perhaps the most well know pen name of all time "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" doyle was in fact a woman ,in her time if she had used her own name she wold likely hav not sold a single book . in these times a womans role was verry specific and for her to step outside this role would have brought greate shame to her family .

Answer 6

So they can write in different genres, build different readership audiences and not disappoint their readers in other genres by concerning them that they might discontinue those lines of work.

Answer 7

Usually they value their anonymity and feel that the press would ruin that and possibly taint their writing.

Answer 8

so they can say whatever they want and dont have to be accountable, so they can write in another style, so they can write erotica even as they see their friends in church every sunday

Answer 9

for a variety of reasone, ananymity can be liberating............. why do you use a psudonym for you yahoo ID rather than your full name???

Answer 10

some do so that they will not get hounded by people who are fans.