An author may wish to use a pen name for various reasons, but does this mean you must officially register this name? To use a pen name, you do not require a deed poll. An author’s pen name is a pseudonym they use to publish their writing. It is not a legitimate name, and using a pen name does not need you to change it officially. Read on for more information.
Using a Deed Poll for Your Pen Name
There are advantages to formalising your pen name with a deed poll. You can use your pen name on contracts, copyright registrations, and other legal papers, for instance, if you use a deed poll to change your name.
You can also project a more polished picture of yourself as a writer by using a deed poll to switch from your real name to your pen name. Maintaining a clear separation between your personal and work lives might also be beneficial.
Things to Consider
It is entirely up to you to use a deed poll for your pen name. Before making a choice, you should consider the advantages and disadvantages of each option and take into account the following factors:
- Do you wish to clearly separate your personal and work lives?
- Would you like to present yourself as a more accomplished writer?
- Would you like to be able to use your pen name on contracts and copyright registrations, among other legal documents?
- Are you prepared to complete the deed poll enrollment process?
Three Famous Authors Who Use Pen Names
Stephen King
Publishers believed at the time that an author should only publish one book a year since any more would oversaturate the market. King wrote more than one novel a year under the pen name Richard Bachman. The trick was eventually discovered when a bookshop clerk noticed how similar King and Bachman’s writing styles were. After King verified the link, he quickly announced that Bachman had passed away from “cancer of the pseudonym.”
JK Rowling
When penning the Harry Potter series, author Joanne Rowling went under the more masculine pen name, as her publishers were worried that young males would not want to read the books if they knew the author was a woman. She used Robert Galbraith as her pen name for her detective novel The Cuckoo’s Calling.
Dr Seuss
Theodor Geisel used his middle name, ‘Seuss’, as a pen name. For novels he wrote and others he illustrated, Geisel also wrote under the pen name LeSieg, which is his surname spelt backwards. He used the pen name Rosetta Stone for a novel he co-wrote with another author.
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