Skip to main content

Get Thee A Nom De Plume!

Image
By
Good Evening One & All,

Shakespeare wrote in Romeo & Juliet, "What's in a name?...A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Disney talked about names in Aladdin in the lyrics, "Better get a nom de plume." (the song, "One Jump").

So, for a writer, what does a nom de plume (or, pen name) say about the author? It could be a different spelling of the author's name, it could be a name that has a significance. They could keep their first name, but change the last, or change both.

A pen name is also the name a writer will write under for his or her books. The name that his or her readers will recognize them. The name on the autographs and the one where people will say, "Oh yes, that's so and so, they wrote..."

Some authors write under their own names. Others, for a variety of reasons, choose a pen name.

What about you? Are you considering a pen name? What have you looked at when thinking of your nom de plume?

For myself, I'm considering something easy to remember, something that is significant to me.


Have A Satisfying Sunday!

Labels:

Comments

Unknown said…
"Jennifer" is so normal...same as "Bennett" ...So that's why the J.J. Bennett. Boring but that's all I got.
Monday, 21 September, 2009
Bethany said…
Jennifer--

Actually I thought it was intriguing that you used initials. :-)
Monday, 21 September, 2009
Stephanie Faris said…
I always thought it was more for safety reasons...either that or the person simply had an unmarketable name. I write under my maiden name...when I was married before I had everything in my personal life under my married name, which would have been good. Only, often you see the copyright page lists the author's real name -- the name the copyright is listed under. So I'm not sure that does much good!
Monday, 21 September, 2009
Regina Quentin said…
I want to write under my real name until I switch genres. Then I'll have fun making up a cool name...hopefully.
Monday, 21 September, 2009
Bethany said…
Stephanie,

I suppose if an author really wanted to, they could have the copyright under their pen name.
Monday, 21 September, 2009
Bethany said…
Regina,

I was told by a published author to find a pen name I liked since I'd have to live with it for a long time LOL. I think I've come up with something that has a particular significance for me :-)
Monday, 21 September, 2009
Regina Quentin said…
Are you keeping it a secret? Don't forget to buy the domain name that you've chosen. It's under $10 at godaddy.com, you can also use yahoo! domains to buy it for a good price.
Monday, 21 September, 2009
Bethany said…
Regina,

No, it's not a secret, I just have to finalize it. I have an idea and I'm just making sure this is the name I want.
Monday, 21 September, 2009
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's Worth A Fortune

By
Happy Tuesday Everyone, Does anyone remember the song If I Had A Million Dollars by Barenaked Ladies ? I can't remember when or how I was first introduced to this song, but it's a fun song. So, how about if you had a million dollars? What would you do with it? Of course there's the responsible things to do with a million dollars--pay off debts, and such like that. Then there's the question of whether or not you give to charities, and how much. But, suppose you answered all those questions and you still had quite a lot left; what would you do with it? Maybe I'd go to Disney World. I've wanted to go, and I've never been able to. Or, perhaps I'd go to Germany and England, and Belgium (three of the countries my ancestors are from). Travel around seeing family and friends I don't see often. There's all kinds of possibilities. So, what about you? What would you do with a million dollars? Have A Tremendous Tuesday!
5 comments
Read more

Spotlight On Author: Loretta Wheeler

By
Happy Tuesday Everyone, There's a gem of an author I've had the privilege of coming across...I'm talking about my friend, Loretta Wheeler. She's a sweetheart and very talented author. I enjoyed her YA Paranormal novella, The Pan Man immensely. And, she also writes Romance. So without further ado, come into my parlor and meet Loretta Wheeler: Me:  In your YA novelette, The Pan Man , you mention Pan's looking for his long lost soul mate. What made you choose Pan out of all the Greek/Roman gods and goddesses? Loretta:  I chose the Greek god Pan, because of the connection with the music. I found later on in the story, (my stories take over and write themselves usually) it applied even more than I realized because of the band's name. I won't mention the name of the band in here, because it's part of the surprise ending. Me:  You're mostly known for your Romance stories. How would you describe your writing style? Hot, suspenseful, sensual, sw...
58 comments
Read more

Myths About Writers

By
Afternoon Folks, I thought we'd do a post to dispel some of the myths people seem to have about writers. I'll put the ones that first come to mind then y'all can chime in. Myth: Writing is a great way to make a lot of money. I'm not sure exactly how this one matriculated. Probably in the wake of some of the big best sellers (i.e. Stephen King, Anne Rice, Stephenie Meyer, JK Rowling, and the like) but most of the time writers put in more money for their writing than they do get out of it. Generally a writer doesn't make a ton of money unless somehow his/her book is a blockbuster hit and blasts through what the author owes in the advance (which is paid back to publishers through royalties). Most writers I've met and talked to are not millionaires. I'm not saying it can't happen, I'm saying it's not one of those things that's automatic. Myth: Writing Is Easy Anybody Can Do It. Okay, granted this isn't entirely a myth, but it's not ent...
4 comments
Read more