What's My Name?

Dear Gyrating Lemurs,

So, the holiday season is upon us. I think I've done (pretty much) all of my Christmas shopping. I even bought a few books as gifts for some kiddies. Go literacy!

There's been something I've been thinking about recently: pen names.

From what I can tell, there are a few reasons someone might use a pen name.

1. You've put out a couple novels, and though you love them, are immensely proud of them, the buying public has not shared your enthusiasm. You reinvent, re-brand, yourself with a new name and hit the market again.

2. You've been pigeonholed into a particular market/genre, but you have so many other ideas outside your published area. You write under a new name so your base won't get confused and pick up your new comic fantasy novel expecting a historical murder mystery.

3. You're hiding your gender. J.K. Rowling comes to mind. Of course, now everyone knows she's a woman, but in the beginning, someone thought that a female writer writing about magic and boy wizards was less appealing on the bookshelf.

4. You don't like your name. You've always wanted to be called Winter Gangleberry. Or maybe there's already well known person who shares your name. Maybe your name is Paris Hilton--not THE Paris Hilton--and you want people to take your writing career seriously.

So this is what I'm wondering: In this modern age with Facebook, websites, and more author reading events than you can shake a stick at, is there any room for anonymity? Because that's what a pen name is predicated on--that no one will find out who you really are until you want them to know.

Coupled with the fact that I've heard publicity is pretty much required nowadays to produce a marketable author, how many of the above reasons still apply or are even feasible?

I suppose one argument for it is that some people shop only at bookstores, with no outside information. They only look at the book on the shelf. And if the book only has your pen name, a generic bio, and a teaser of the story, that's all they will use for their purchase decision.

But then again, how many people still do that? Even if it is an inexpensive purchase, I tend to check into a book before I buy it. My shelf space is diminishing after all. I don't need to buy a book I won't like and have it take up room.

This all, however, really are just ruminations on a subject that will affect me very little until I get a book published. Very much the cart before the horse.

But it does make me wonder.

-Matt