What's in an author pen name?
- J.H. Jones
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Hello lovely readers! If you subscribe, you know I'm getting closer to releasing my gothic mashup, BLOOD & WOLF. And in my latest newsletter, I promised to explain why I chose to bring the book out using a pen name.
There's a simple reason: My author name should closely align with the nature of the Gothic book.
When I hear "J.H. Jones" it sounds to me like someone who's no nonsense, which strikes the right tone for my nonfiction books, The Write Group and From Draft to Craft.
But BLOOD & WOLF (and more on the way!) are fiction and completely different in tone, feel and promise to you, lovely readers.
When I came to this realization, I had to make a change.
Picking a pen name sounds like it should be easy peasy, but I found it wasn't. Sure, I could come up with names, but which one was the right one? It needed to feel good to me, plus grow to be (fingers crossed) recognizable to readers. All this to say, my pen name became a project, and phase one was coming up with ideas. I brainstormed various names and combination of names and had to sit with all of them for a while to sense what resonated (or not) with me. When the list was narrowed, I conducted research, Googling, spot checking with an AI tool, and finally deep diving into Amazon and Goodreads.
At the same time, I tapped into the wonderful people and resources of the Alliance of Independent Authors Member Advice Forum so I could get a handle on the implications. Pen names come with pros and cons, so you want to understand the length and breadth of the commitment before you launch. Do a little cost-benefit analysis for yourself and consider the ongoing time and effort required. Then, you may continue with your pen name or decide it's not worth the investment of your sweat and tears. Either way, you'll be confident in your decision and ready for the follow through. (BTW, if you're an author, please consider joining this fabulous nonprofit organization. The leaders and members are supportive and the resources are bountiful.)
When these steps were complete, I was ready to test a couple of names with other writers, who I had met through various writing groups (you gotta be in one to reap the benefits!) and their reactions were super helpful. Thank you, you wonderful writing buddies!
So, after all this, I was ready to rock.
Let's fast forward to today: you can follow Judith Vila:
Do you want to know something more about my pen name decision/research? Quill the comments below!
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