: Re: Why shouldn't I use a pen name? I don't like my name. I feel like seeing my name on the cover of my novel will be an embarassment more than a moment of pride - I just can't take things

@Speyer920

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This is entirely a matter of choice. There are a number of famous authors who write in other genres using a pen name, and they have proven to be just as successful in their new genres. As long as you are writing under just one pen name, you shouldn't really encounter any problems.

If, however, you choose to write under more than one pen name, then you might encounter some inconveniences. Let's say for example you decide to publish in two different genres and use a different pen name for each. By doing this, you will need to maintain two different personnas whenever you do any communication on the web. That means a separate web site for each pseudonym, separate Twitter accounts for each, separate promotional efforts for each. Basically, you create a situation where you are having to do twice as much work to promote yourself. This isn't really a problem, but more of an inconvenience. You may find that you spend more time marketing and promoting your different identities and less time actually writing.

Also, if you self-publish, then you may find problems with managing multiple accounts on different sites, such as GoodReads or LibraryThing. Another problematic site is Smashwords. None of these sites allow you to manage multiple accounts under one logon, which means you will need a separate account for each pseudonym, which means more inconveniences. Amazon is great about letting you manage multiple author accounts with a single logon, but they will only allow you to create one author page to link to your books. If you pester them enough, they will allow you to create a second one that you can link to your manegement console, but that's the limit.

I currently have about a dozen titles that I have sold successfully under a pseudonym, and I have also more recently begun to publish under my real name. The examples I have provided are based on my own experiences in trying to manage more than one identity. If you are going to write under only one pen name, then you will probably find this a whole lot less of an issue.

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