Saturday 18 December 2010

Creating the Pseudonym

During the last couple of days I have made a firm decision on using and choosing a pen name for my writing. It wasn't a difficult decision to use one as I want to keep my day job and writing completely and utterly separate, and after a brilliant idea by a colleague, the name itself is a natural. I have found the practicalities of actually creating the name on various on-line platforms quite difficult. I'm creating a brand and that brand is me, but under another name.


I have created a new email address and I have also created a facebook profile, using the same photograph I use here and on twitter to save confusion.


Confusion however, did arise for me yesterday, when I emailed for a writing competition entry form, using said pen name email address and nearly signed off with my real name!


You may notice that I have changed my name on this blog to Rebecca (my chosen name). This caused me a few issues as blogger won't let me change my initial log in email, so it feels like I have a split personality, posting as Rebecca, but having to log in as Jane still.


I have then  had to consider changing my twitter username, the @ name, to my pen name so my online platforms link up. I need to be able to do this without causing confusion to everyone as well as myself. I think this is a sensible option, but I'm concerned about my twitter friends who know me as Jane. Do I appear sly by completely changing it? I created my twitter account as a personal social networking tool and have grown to love it and the people and interactions I have on it, but I have to face the reality that as a writer I need to be seen to have and use social networking sites. In changing my twitter name I'm not changing who I am, I will still keep it personal to me, but it will help link up everything that creates the platform for my dreams. The dream being, one day I will be a published novelist.

6 comments:

  1. Who are you again....? LOL

    I keep thinking about a pseudonym for my novel, but I get confused too easily so I might just stick to my proper name. Crystal Jigsaw is a kind of pseudonym that I use, but I prefer to write under Kathryn Brown.

    CJ xx

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  2. We share a publishing dream. We also share the need to make use of social networking as a marketing tool. Using a pseudonym makes sense and I've thought about it, but I don't think I could handle the confusion (at least in my mind). You're wise to start this early BEFORE you become a published author. Please update us once in a while on how this works out for you.

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  3. CJ - I'm really not sure who I am right now! It's getting pretty confusing, though I'm sure with time I will get used to it.

    Margaret - I think that's goingto be the upside to the confusion, starting earlier, before I'm anywhere near having a novel published. I also think starting early building your platform is important, but I am still a novice, particularly at blogging, though I'm enjoying it greatly. Wishing you all the best with your dream.

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  4. Wooo! Yay for pen names! It is indeed a bit confusing in the beginning but it gets easier. Now I'm more apt to sign my pen name than my real name!

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  5. I think I could get used to it! :)

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  6. I am confused!! It doesn't take a lot though. I have often thought what my pen name would be but I have no bright ideas at all.

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