Do I need to use a pen name?

Reasons to use your real name

Reasons to use a pen name

You’re an expert in your field

You’re writing a memoir

You want a book published “in your name”

You plan to promote the book to your community/network

Privacy is important to you

Your author brand clashes with your real-life brand

There’s already an author with your name

Your name doesn’t suit your genre

How do I choose a pen name?

• Search for “rare surnames”
• Look at a map: street names often provide good surnames
• Choose a name with the same initials as your real name
• Pick the first name or surname of a favourite book character or hero
• Search your family tree for interesting ancestral names
• Try an online name generator

RECOMMENDED

A name that suits your genre
A name that’s rare or unique
A name that’s memorable and easy to spell

NOT RECOMMENDED

Accents/diacritics/punctuation
The same (or very similar) name as a famous person
Using initials – full stops can create inconsistency

CONSISTENCY IS CRITICAL

Using the exact same name for all future books is very important for your author brand – plus many platforms won’t recognise variations as the same author:

Dr M Brown/Michael Brown/M J Brown/Dr Mike Brown/Michael J Brown/Doctor Mike

Pick one and stick with it!