I am a physician by trade, but in 2009, I put that identity to the side. Instead, I picked up my pen and started writing.

Finding Your Identity

I represented Record-Journal, a small Connecticut newspaper, as their movie critic for the red carpet premiere of Public Enemies, the Michael Mann movie starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.

In my own way, I suppose you could say I was like Clark Kent. I helped people for a living (albeit without a cape), but I also had an alter ego as a mild-mannered reporter.

As fun and exciting as the red carpet experience was, it raises interesting questions about what I wanted to do for a living. Did I want to practice medicine? Be a movie critic? A writer? I wanted to do it all!

Common Reasons for a Pseudonym

There are no hard and fast rules about having multiple identities. Superman wore a disguise but Tony Stark had no qualms about telling the world he was Iron Man. The same goes for writing. Who do you want to be and why? These are some common reasons to use a pseudonym.

• You write material based on people you know. They say write what you know. If you find inspiration in everyday life, people you know may start to see themselves in your work. This could cause difficulties in your personal relationships. You have to ask yourself if it’s worth it.
• Your day job and your writing may not go hand in hand. Your boss may not like to see your name associated with a certain genre if it does not reflect the company brand. Some readers may not run to read a historical romance written by a garbageman or a serial killer novel written by a kindergarten teacher. Societal expectations can be a real drag.
• Your real name is hard to pronounce. Of course, you should be proud of your name! That doesn’t make it easier for your reader to request one of your books if they can’t pronounce or spell your name. Word of mouth can get tricky that way too.
• Your real name is too common. If your name is Jane Doe, it may be hard to stand out in a crowd. Using a pseudonym may help you get the recognition you deserve.
• Your real name is “famous” for other reasons. If your name is George Costanza, Harry Potter, or Michael Scott, readers may be distracted by your name. They could think it’s a joke or assume you are someone you are not. It may be hard to build a reputation that way.

Pseudonyms for Content and Marketability

Content. Marketability. Sales. It all goes hand in hand, and your name leads the charge.

• You do not have the rights to your name. A publisher could make you sign a contract that gives them ownership of your name. If you leave that publisher for any reason, you literally cannot use that name for the length of time designated in your contract. This happened to romance author Jayne Castle (maiden name) who could not use that name for 10 years! Needless to say, she started using her married name, Jayne Ann Krentz, and picked up a pseudonym or two along the way (Amanda Glass, Amanda Quick, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Taylor, and Stephanie James).
• You had a failed book. Not everything goes according to plan. You may have had a real stinker published at one point and maybe you do not want to be associated with the name anymore. A pseudonym could be a fresh start but there is no guarantee your next book will be a huge success either. Are you going to change your name every time things don’t go your way?
• You write in different genres. If you write in one genre, easy peasy. When you write for more than one genre, that’s when marketing could get a bit tricky. Imagine looking up a kiddie picture book author and finding books of steamy erotica instead. That could be a real turn-off for a reader. It may matter less for other genres and for some readers it may not matter at all.

How to Work a Pseudonym

The idea of a pseudonym may sound fun but it can be a pain in the you-know-where, especially if you have more than a few names. These days more and more of the burden falls on authors to market themselves. Whether you self-publish or even if you are traditionally published, that means building your own social media presence and your own brand. Doing that for each pen name can get exhausting. That said, many famous authors have pen names.

Odds are someone will break your cover at some point anyway. Welcome to the digital age!

Still, it is a personal decision and you will have your reasons for using (or not using) a pseudonym. For me, it has been straightforward. As a doctor who loves movies, I built my own brand, Diagnosis Movies. I cannot take credit for the name. My former Town Times (Record-Journal) editor Sue Vanderzee gave me the byline back in the day. Cheeky and fun, it literally brought my interests into one vision.

Now that I write fewer movie reviews, Diagnosis Movies has evolved into Diagnosis Life, a brand that allows me to write a number of health and wellness topics. Using my real name, I published my two books, Idiots Guides: Medicare and Medicare Essentials. I also publish articles on Verywell Health and MedicareResources.org using that name. Will that change when I publish my first fiction novel? You’ll have to wait and see.