Using a Pseudonym

Obviously when starting to write, the first thing to think about is not whether to use a pseudonym or not. More important is to really write something :D …

Still, when I started this blog, it was something I had to think about.

So I made a list of pros and cons for using an alias for writing.

For me the main points of consideration turned out to be the need to keep my privacy and separate my writing from other things of my life against how I would be marketing myself if I would use an alias (with which images and channels and without feeling like a fraud… not that there really would be a need to feel like a fraud).

Pros for using a pseudonym:

• Keeps your writing separate from other things of your life
• Other parties, including employers, clients and other work-related contacts won’t stumble upon your writing 
• Having more privacy
• Hiding personal trades
• Job, age, nationality
• Less chances for stalkers, among others, to intrude on your offline life
• Freedom to be who you want to be (for example not having to write under a name that gets easily associated to a certain nationality or stereotype)
• If your name is already trademarked to someone or something else
• If your own name is impossible for anyone to remember, say or read
• The possibility to create different pseudonyms for different genres
• Or hiding how often/fast you publish
• Distancing yourself from the online content under your own name
• Blogs, social profiles, opinionated comments, political aspects, religion….
• If your writing flops you can change your pseudonym (and develop your writing)
• Because of the thought that male authors will be received better (If you are a female. This is an interesting article to the topic by Francine Prose)

Cons for using a pseudonym:

• Staying in persona
• Creating a false persona
• Misleading your readers (or feeling like you are misleading them, because of:)
• Marketing and promotion
• Creating different online channels, social profiles and websites for marketing your writing
• Will you still be using your own pictures?
• The pseudonym can easily turn into a stereotype
• Difficulties in creating the pseudonym
• How to combine your pseudonym and your real you? In which situations should you use which one? How important is your secrecy/privacy?
• Not registering your alias with the Copyright Office could shorten the term of the copyright protection

If you decide on using an alias, remember:

• Using a “non-trademarked”; not using a too usual or an already excising name
• Remembering proper protocol for using both names for editors without being confusing
• Sticking to the Name
• Deciding about how to Copyright (affects the length of the term)
• Research how taxes and payments are handled with aliases where you live

If you have anything to add to this list, just comment below.