When an author publishes under a name other than their own, they are using a pen name. Pen names are also sometimes called "nom de plume," "nom de guerre," pseudonym, or alias. Some authors have used a number of pen names while others might only use one pen name name for all their work.

COMMON REASONS FOR USING A PEN NAME

* An author may use a pen name if his/her real name is too much like another author or celebrity. It can be hard to stand out as yourself if your real name is a close match like Steven King or Jan Yolon. It's even harder if it's exactly the same as the famous author. If the author is less famous, the introduction of your middle initial or a variant on your first name may be enough to stand out.

* Some authors have chosen to use pen names if they feel their real name is too difficult to spell or pronounce, thus making it difficult to ask for or search for their books. Though this is not universal, certainly many authors have very difficult names to spell or pronounce and go one to sell well -- Jon Scieszka, for example.

* An author may be ASKED to use a pen name to avoid over exposure. One magazine I know used a great deal of material from one author. To avoid having the magazine look as if it were all written by a single writer, the magazine asked the author to let them use a pen name for some of her material.

* A pen name may be chosen if an author believes his/her real name isn't right for the genre. Sometimes men have written romance novels under female pen names, for instance, because readers expect romance to be written by women. And several female science fiction authors chose male names for the same reason -- readers expected the "best" science fiction to be written by men. Or an elderly woman writing political thrillers might choose a young-sounding male name to hide both her sex and her age.

* A pen name may be chosen if an author writes material that might create problems for his/her "day job." For instance, a preschool teacher who writes erotic romance or graphic thrillers would probably use a pen name. University professors in "dignified" fields have used pen names when writing mass market genre novels. And sometimes, an employer might balk at the idea of an employee "moonlighting" at a second job -- writing.

* Sometimes a pen name might be created for fun to make the author's name better suit the voice of the book such as with Lemony Snicket or Pseudonymous Bosch.

* Sometimes women have been asked to publish under initials and last name when writing books with a strong boy audience -- this because publishers feared boys would avoid books written by a woman. This rarely happens anymore.

* Sometimes a pen name is used when a series is written by a collection of writers but the publisher wants to give the impression of just one author. Or when a series was begun by a specific author but is then continued to different authors.

WHEN YOU KNOW YOU WANT ONE

So, if you've decided you have a good reason to use a pen name, how do you choose one.

First, be sure you're not accidentally choosing a name shared by another author. Amazon could be helpful for this since it virtually operates as a kind of "books in print."

Second, be aware that publishers don't tend to be really good at keeping author identity secret unless it was their idea for the pen name in the first place. This is especially true with magazines where you may ask to be "published as" only to find your real name on the byline when it hits print.

Third, know that pen names can affect copyright. Check with the copyright office for more details [ http://www.copyright.gov] -- but since using a pen name as your copyright name (thus not revealing your real identity on the copyright page) can't be linked to "author life plus 70 years," the copyright length for these works copyrighted to pen names is usually 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation.

Fourth, know that getting checks made out to your pen name may make your banking complex. Have a discussion with your bank (and your agent and publisher) to make payment needs clear. And know that you still owe taxes on that money, even when it's not in your name.

Fifth, know that a pen name is no protection for your book exposing what a gang of monsters went to your high school, were part of your family, or lived in your hometown. The same legal rules apply. If the folks would sue you if you used your real name, they'll probably sue you if you use a pen name too.

Sixth, since platform is slowly growing in importance in fiction (though still not nearly as important as some folks would have you think), it's not a good idea to fracture your identity into a bunch of separate names when trying to build a platform -- it just multiplies your workload.

Seventh, this may seem silly, but the thrill of seeing your name in print tends to be less when it's just not your name. You can use material under your pen name on your credits (unless you've signed a nondisclosure agreement, which can happen if you're writing for a series that is published under a single name) -- but know that it might be hard to convince perfect strangers that the bespeckled elderly lady signing books is really the pseudonymous "Harry Bloke."

LAST WORDS So, if you've decided you want a pen name, choose one no one else is presently using. Do a quick google search to make sure you haven't chosen a name with a strong Google response like the name of a popular singer or the name of a serial killer since that will make promoting your pen name a little harder. Make your choice clear to publishers in your cover letter with a line like "I am writing as "Pen Name" and will want that byline used." -- no need to discuss pen names at the query level. Put the pen name on your manuscript in the "by So-and-so" spot, centered underneath the title. And when you reach the acceptance stage -- be certain everyone is clear on what name will be on your check. Finally, be sure your reason for having a pen name out-weighs the drawbacks.