Pseudonyms

Pseudonyms
By: Sarah Schrupp

                What do the Brontë sisters, erotica novelists, and J.K. Rowling all have in common?  Pen names.  The Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne wrote under the names Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell.  (If the Brontës were trying to convince people they were men, couldn’t they have picked something a bit more masculine?  Perhaps something with a little zing, like Destroyer, Decipticon, and Optimus Prime?)  Erotica novelists write under different names to ensure they still have jobs, friends, and at least a little bit of dignity left, after publishing their novels.  I cannot be certain what types of pseudonyms erotica novelists use (as I have never read one of these books), but I am guessing a name like Semour Butts would look splendid on the book cover, right below a half naked Fabio.  Then there’s J.K. Rowling.  Rowling didn’t exactly change her name, but rather used initials, since most authors who write fantasy books tend to be men.  Using initials is not uncommon for women who are fantasy authors.     

                There are many advantages for using a pen name.  For the Brontë sisters, it was imperative that they used pseudonyms, as women authors were not exactly praised during their era.  In fact, most men at the time were under the belief that writing was inappropriate for women.  For erotica novelists, pen names are also imperative. After all, they have a hard enough time in life as it is.  I mean for goodness sake. . . they’re erotica novelists.  These are the type of people that probably still live at home, get tucked into their Batman sheets at night by their mothers, and go to the local arcade to challenge thirteen year olds at a game of Guitar Hero.  But I digress.  It is difficult to say whether or not J.K. Rowling’s choice in name had any influence on book sales.  Most Harry Potter fans would probably agree that either way, Rowling would still be a billionaire. 

                While the advantages of using a pen name are numerous, so are the disadvantages.  For instance, imagine that you are a forty-five year old single, bald man, and you have just written an award winning fiction book.  Alas!  You can finally get the attention of that smokin’ hot blonde neighbor of yours. . . but then you realize: you have written under a pen name!  There is no way Stacy would believe that you with all your cats and baldness could have written such a masterpiece.  What a shame.  My point is, there is a certain amount of recognition that comes with writing a book.  Although authors aren’t nearly as well known as other celebrities, there are still people that will recognize you.   It is undoubtedly very rewarding to have someone see your name (whether checking you out at the library or swiping your credit card) and ask if you’re “the author of that book.”