An interesting opinion on pen names: Why use a pen name? Are you experiencing everything the author has to offer as a reader?
A guest blog by Ellie Jean
Taking my journey as an author into the world of contemporary romance writing, it was necessary to use pen names.
*Ben Jackson – My wife and I also chose to use pen names. Although we don’t write in romance, we just thought it would be easier to keep our personal and business lives separate with pen names.
You see… I’m a primary school teacher – a teacher of children aged from 4 to 13 years old.
The subject of my contemporary romance novel ‘Sweet Deception,’ as you can picture in your head, is hot sex scenes with naked bodies, bedroom scenes on beds if you’re thinking tamely, or the steamy bathroom scene, or the ocean if you let your imagination go wilder still. The use of those naughty, lust-filled descriptive words and actions no one is supposed to mention out loud- EVER is rife throughout my new novel and possibly would be a problem in my profession. Parents and employees may think the subject matter is too risqué.
Being necessary for me personally to take a pen name, I was thinking, can I still portray my REAL self to the audience in spite of a different name? After thinking carefully and thoroughly, I decided that ‘yes’, my personality and true self can still shine through.
Showcasing my personal life accurately and expressing how I am feeling doesn’t change because of a name. I am still able to disclose the inner ME when answering interview questions, posting blogs, or responding to people who have taken the time to purchase my book. I just can’t show my face or reveal my true name.
What I do give, however, is the innermost part of me that many people actually don’t know about. Many of my readers will know the true me more than the people I actually work with or see every day. Which I think is kind of cool.
So, when you see an author using a pen name, just think and trust that – you are actually getting to know that author’s innermost secrets that they can reveal to everyone without fearing self-inhibitions.
Pen Names. Do You Still Get to Know The True Author? | Conclusion
Thanks to Ellie Jean for the great article on Pen Names. If you want to check out Ellie Jean’s book, Sweet Deception, it is available on Amazon! If you use a pen name or have thought about using a pen name, then comment below! We would love to hear how you chose your pen names and why!
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