: Re: Do I need a pen name? And how do I pick a good one? Try having the name 'James Thompson'. It doesn't really sound like a name a professional writer would have, does it? Because I don't

@Jessie137

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Do keep in mind @RobtA 's advise concerning copyright.

I'd also like to suggest that you look at what you write and decide what type of name fits. Take steps:

language (English, Chinese, Spanish, etc)
1.1 decide whether to apply the same language to both first name and surname or use different languages
quantity of first names
2.1 one or two (some languages with short names can make two desirable)
2.2 use initials only for first name (two first names could make this sound better)
gender (female, male, unisex)
3.1 initials work great to make a first name seem unisex
length
4.1 decide if you'd rather have all names be long, short or a combination
common or not
5.1 should they be common, uncommon, unique, have conventional or unconventional spelling, ...
meaning
6.1 should they have an obvious meaning (Autumn), a hidden meaning (Sarah = princess) or no meaning
sounds
7.1 a strong sound (e.g. with p, b sounds) or a soft sound ( e.g. with s, l, sounds)
7.2 abundance of consonants or vowels (Fred vs. Layla)

Now, start making a list of names and a list of surnames. Mark the ones you like, the ones you dislike and the ones that are ok. Erase the ones you don't like.

If you chose initials, it's easier, just check the alphabet (so much shorter) for the letters that have the right sound and feel.

Start combining favourite first names and surnames, and then also mix some of the ok names/surnames. If you chose to have two first names, try first deciding which two go together before adding the surname to the mix.

I strongly suggest that you end up with half a dozen possible names, even if you fall in love with a particular combination.

Last stage: get a pool of people and tell them that you have a list of writers. One of those writers is famous for their [genre] books. Can you guess who is it? Or just get the pool to vote on their favourite. It works best if you ask this to 20-30 people rather that 2-3.

Good luck.

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