Is it a bad idea to have a pen name with only an initial for a surname?Writing different genresHow to associate my screenname with my books?Promoting your books when you've written under a pseudonym/pen nameIs it a good idea to start each chapter with a snippet from a fictional book?Are some ideas too cliched?Should I bother allowing images (headshots) for pen names?Can using my name as author harm my book sales?Naming Characters after Friends/FamilyHow to pick a proper pen-name for online writing?Real-world issues with using an alias

Unbalanced dollar signs

Is there a way to scale the 1st level spell from Magic Initiate to keep up with cantrips?

How to make vehicular combat viable in a Post Apocalyptic world?

How to create numeronyms in bash

Proving the sum of two differentiable functions is also differentiable

python search replace and join with delimiter

Why didn't Hogwarts shut down after these type of events?

What advantages do the absolute encoders gain by employing Gray code transmission instead of binary code?

Does "雑用" really describe ”俺” here in this context?

How can women avoid talking during dates while keeping men at ease?

I shall Keep Watch for My Family

It is alright to include students' first names in a teaching statement?

What is the value of the "Texas Crutch"?

Where do I find a toothbrush?

How to deal with complaints about you - if you warned against the risk?

How to evaluate derivative for implicit

Why is the mean of the natural log of a uniform distribution (between 0 and 1) different from the natural log of 0.5?

How to redeem a wasted youth?

Logic - How to say "Not only but also".

Do Vedas mention that Vedas ALONE are to be followed and Itihasa/Purana should be discarded?

Why don't combat aircraft have rear-facing *laser* weapons?

What other "Sections" are there in Starfleet?

What are the correct pronouns for referring to someone whom I have never met in person when the gender is apparent?

2 Person Same Number Verification



Is it a bad idea to have a pen name with only an initial for a surname?


Writing different genresHow to associate my screenname with my books?Promoting your books when you've written under a pseudonym/pen nameIs it a good idea to start each chapter with a snippet from a fictional book?Are some ideas too cliched?Should I bother allowing images (headshots) for pen names?Can using my name as author harm my book sales?Naming Characters after Friends/FamilyHow to pick a proper pen-name for online writing?Real-world issues with using an alias






.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty
margin-bottom:0;

.everyonelovesstackoverflowposition:absolute;height:1px;width:1px;opacity:0;top:0;left:0;pointer-events:none;








11

















My name is Ana Novkovic and I'm about to start writing and all that. I really really don't like my last name Novkovic. It's so hard to pronounce and I worry it would just distract readers and not look good.



I am considering using the pen name Ana N. Is it a bad idea to have a pen name within only an initial for a surname?










share|improve this question























  • 11





    If you do think that your last name is not good enough (although I personally just can't see why), you can choose a different pen name. However, I think "Ana N." is just too generic and would hurt your visibility when people start googling this name.

    – Alexander
    Jun 13 at 19:36






  • 20





    I think Ana Novkovic is a very nice name. It sounds foreign to me (maybe Russian? Not sure), but is remarkably easy to read and would probably be easy enough to say for most English speakers.

    – icanfathom
    Jun 13 at 19:50






  • 3





    Agree with @Alexander. Test with google (and others) first, it doesn't seem search-friendly.... It does have a kind of '80s Berlin punkscene vibe, which is cool but dated… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiane_F.

    – wetcircuit
    Jun 14 at 2:50






  • 4





    @wetcircuit I'd also give it a spin on Amazon and such if you intend to publish/sell there. The main issue of initials is they can be ignored by search engines or match with anything like rock n roll or N Carolina.

    – AmiralPatate
    Jun 14 at 10:32






  • 2





    I think it is too generic, and too close to "Anon", a common shortened form of Anonymous. Your name is fine, but if you don't like it, maybe "Ana Nova" as a pen name.

    – Amadeus
    Jun 14 at 16:06

















11

















My name is Ana Novkovic and I'm about to start writing and all that. I really really don't like my last name Novkovic. It's so hard to pronounce and I worry it would just distract readers and not look good.



I am considering using the pen name Ana N. Is it a bad idea to have a pen name within only an initial for a surname?










share|improve this question























  • 11





    If you do think that your last name is not good enough (although I personally just can't see why), you can choose a different pen name. However, I think "Ana N." is just too generic and would hurt your visibility when people start googling this name.

    – Alexander
    Jun 13 at 19:36






  • 20





    I think Ana Novkovic is a very nice name. It sounds foreign to me (maybe Russian? Not sure), but is remarkably easy to read and would probably be easy enough to say for most English speakers.

    – icanfathom
    Jun 13 at 19:50






  • 3





    Agree with @Alexander. Test with google (and others) first, it doesn't seem search-friendly.... It does have a kind of '80s Berlin punkscene vibe, which is cool but dated… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiane_F.

    – wetcircuit
    Jun 14 at 2:50






  • 4





    @wetcircuit I'd also give it a spin on Amazon and such if you intend to publish/sell there. The main issue of initials is they can be ignored by search engines or match with anything like rock n roll or N Carolina.

    – AmiralPatate
    Jun 14 at 10:32






  • 2





    I think it is too generic, and too close to "Anon", a common shortened form of Anonymous. Your name is fine, but if you don't like it, maybe "Ana Nova" as a pen name.

    – Amadeus
    Jun 14 at 16:06













11












11








11








My name is Ana Novkovic and I'm about to start writing and all that. I really really don't like my last name Novkovic. It's so hard to pronounce and I worry it would just distract readers and not look good.



I am considering using the pen name Ana N. Is it a bad idea to have a pen name within only an initial for a surname?










share|improve this question

















My name is Ana Novkovic and I'm about to start writing and all that. I really really don't like my last name Novkovic. It's so hard to pronounce and I worry it would just distract readers and not look good.



I am considering using the pen name Ana N. Is it a bad idea to have a pen name within only an initial for a surname?







creative-writing pseudonym






share|improve this question
















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Jun 14 at 16:32









Laurel

1,5931 silver badge17 bronze badges




1,5931 silver badge17 bronze badges










asked Jun 13 at 19:07









AnaAna

591 silver badge3 bronze badges




591 silver badge3 bronze badges










  • 11





    If you do think that your last name is not good enough (although I personally just can't see why), you can choose a different pen name. However, I think "Ana N." is just too generic and would hurt your visibility when people start googling this name.

    – Alexander
    Jun 13 at 19:36






  • 20





    I think Ana Novkovic is a very nice name. It sounds foreign to me (maybe Russian? Not sure), but is remarkably easy to read and would probably be easy enough to say for most English speakers.

    – icanfathom
    Jun 13 at 19:50






  • 3





    Agree with @Alexander. Test with google (and others) first, it doesn't seem search-friendly.... It does have a kind of '80s Berlin punkscene vibe, which is cool but dated… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiane_F.

    – wetcircuit
    Jun 14 at 2:50






  • 4





    @wetcircuit I'd also give it a spin on Amazon and such if you intend to publish/sell there. The main issue of initials is they can be ignored by search engines or match with anything like rock n roll or N Carolina.

    – AmiralPatate
    Jun 14 at 10:32






  • 2





    I think it is too generic, and too close to "Anon", a common shortened form of Anonymous. Your name is fine, but if you don't like it, maybe "Ana Nova" as a pen name.

    – Amadeus
    Jun 14 at 16:06












  • 11





    If you do think that your last name is not good enough (although I personally just can't see why), you can choose a different pen name. However, I think "Ana N." is just too generic and would hurt your visibility when people start googling this name.

    – Alexander
    Jun 13 at 19:36






  • 20





    I think Ana Novkovic is a very nice name. It sounds foreign to me (maybe Russian? Not sure), but is remarkably easy to read and would probably be easy enough to say for most English speakers.

    – icanfathom
    Jun 13 at 19:50






  • 3





    Agree with @Alexander. Test with google (and others) first, it doesn't seem search-friendly.... It does have a kind of '80s Berlin punkscene vibe, which is cool but dated… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiane_F.

    – wetcircuit
    Jun 14 at 2:50






  • 4





    @wetcircuit I'd also give it a spin on Amazon and such if you intend to publish/sell there. The main issue of initials is they can be ignored by search engines or match with anything like rock n roll or N Carolina.

    – AmiralPatate
    Jun 14 at 10:32






  • 2





    I think it is too generic, and too close to "Anon", a common shortened form of Anonymous. Your name is fine, but if you don't like it, maybe "Ana Nova" as a pen name.

    – Amadeus
    Jun 14 at 16:06







11




11





If you do think that your last name is not good enough (although I personally just can't see why), you can choose a different pen name. However, I think "Ana N." is just too generic and would hurt your visibility when people start googling this name.

– Alexander
Jun 13 at 19:36





If you do think that your last name is not good enough (although I personally just can't see why), you can choose a different pen name. However, I think "Ana N." is just too generic and would hurt your visibility when people start googling this name.

– Alexander
Jun 13 at 19:36




20




20





I think Ana Novkovic is a very nice name. It sounds foreign to me (maybe Russian? Not sure), but is remarkably easy to read and would probably be easy enough to say for most English speakers.

– icanfathom
Jun 13 at 19:50





I think Ana Novkovic is a very nice name. It sounds foreign to me (maybe Russian? Not sure), but is remarkably easy to read and would probably be easy enough to say for most English speakers.

– icanfathom
Jun 13 at 19:50




3




3





Agree with @Alexander. Test with google (and others) first, it doesn't seem search-friendly.... It does have a kind of '80s Berlin punkscene vibe, which is cool but dated… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiane_F.

– wetcircuit
Jun 14 at 2:50





Agree with @Alexander. Test with google (and others) first, it doesn't seem search-friendly.... It does have a kind of '80s Berlin punkscene vibe, which is cool but dated… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiane_F.

– wetcircuit
Jun 14 at 2:50




4




4





@wetcircuit I'd also give it a spin on Amazon and such if you intend to publish/sell there. The main issue of initials is they can be ignored by search engines or match with anything like rock n roll or N Carolina.

– AmiralPatate
Jun 14 at 10:32





@wetcircuit I'd also give it a spin on Amazon and such if you intend to publish/sell there. The main issue of initials is they can be ignored by search engines or match with anything like rock n roll or N Carolina.

– AmiralPatate
Jun 14 at 10:32




2




2





I think it is too generic, and too close to "Anon", a common shortened form of Anonymous. Your name is fine, but if you don't like it, maybe "Ana Nova" as a pen name.

– Amadeus
Jun 14 at 16:06





I think it is too generic, and too close to "Anon", a common shortened form of Anonymous. Your name is fine, but if you don't like it, maybe "Ana Nova" as a pen name.

– Amadeus
Jun 14 at 16:06










4 Answers
4






active

oldest

votes


















26


















You can publish under any name you choose. Whether it makes a difference to your sales is a very open question, but if it makes you feel better about publishing your work, then by all means use a pen name. Many great writers have done so -- Mark Twain was a pen name; so was Andre Norton. More recently, John Varley was a pen name -- and these are just the ones I know, whose work I've read (and I'm a pretty narrow reader).



On the other hand, people with harder names than yours have published under their birth names -- Somtow Sucharitkul, for instance (though after several years, he changed to using S.P. Somtow). Aleksandr Solzhenytsin was another.



I'd suggest you don't worry about whether your readers can pronounce your name, and concentrate on writing work they'll want to read. If they want to read it, they'll get past your name.






share|improve this answer





















  • 7





    Lewis Carroll, Dr Seuss, Stan Lee, George Orwell, Lee Child

    – OrangeDog
    Jun 14 at 14:04






  • 8





    I don't think Солженицын is hard for Russian speakers.

    – Grzegorz Oledzki
    Jun 14 at 16:19


















16


















Partly because your name is the same as a Slovenian politician famous enough to be listed in Wikipedia, you should consider an alternative. Do you like your mother's maiden name? Would you prefer a shortened version or an English translation of your surname (Like Ana Novik or Ana Newson, for example)? It should be short enough, memorable and have some charm for you, and it should "age well."



I've had a pseudo for years for arts things that I do that are completely unrelated to my main career, they definitely come in handy. But do tell your publisher and/or agent your full legal name :-)






share|improve this answer

































    5


















    Using the initial for the surname may actually be more distracting for the reader, because it seems like a deliberate attempt at hiding identity, such as is done when writing tell-all books about some long-held secret. It also makes it harder for reviewers and commenters to refer to you by surname; some will end up finding out your real name and using that, and that will create confusion among your readers. And a single letter alone will make it harder to find you in online searches.



    You might consider a short and catchy variant of your real name, like "Ana Nov" or "Ana Nova". Or, as others have said, your middle name, or some name in your family that has a nice ring to it and (very important) will be unique when people search for you.



    I'm also given to understand that in many cases, pen-names (and stage-names) have arisen from the suggestion of publishers or agents, who may have a good sense for the market you hope to reach. So you might consider submitting your first manuscripts with your full name, and asking for feedback at that time.



    Though, having suggested it, I will say that "Ana Nova" has a nice ring to it.






    share|improve this answer





















    • 1





      ha! I also thought of "Ana Nova", in a comment before I read your post.

      – Amadeus
      Jun 14 at 16:08






    • 1





      How about Ana Nimus

      – Robyn
      Jun 14 at 18:49






    • 1





      @barbecue that may be true in the music industry, but CCTO is correct with re to book publishing.

      – industry7
      Jun 14 at 18:55






    • 1





      @alephzero Even worse, when I Googled "Ana Nova", it thought I probably meant "Anna Nova" who is, apparently, an East German porn actress.

      – David Richerby
      Jun 14 at 23:43






    • 1





      @DavidRicherby if you look long enough, you'll find that all cool names are already taken by porn actresses. On the other hand, when you need a cool name for your character, you know where to look for it...

      – Agent_L
      Jun 16 at 7:47


















    2


















    Your name is fine. I would not choose an initial for a surname because people will wonder what you're hiding and you have to file extra paperwork for a pseudonym. But of course you can always tell people "just call me Ana N." when you want. Some of my daughter's teachers at her school go by "Mr. G" or "Ms. O" because their names are long and/or hard to pronounce.






    share|improve this answer





















    • 4





      In what regions do you need "paperwork" to use a pen-name?

      – Toby Speight
      Jun 14 at 10:39











    • @TobySpeight Any region where checks or transfers to your pen name go into a bank account in your legal name. Or where you sign a contract and need to connect the names. In the US you get a fictitious business name ("doing business as..."). I have one for my business and it's cheap and easy to do. But it still involves a trip to the county every 5 years, publishing it in the paper, and so on.

      – Cyn
      Jun 14 at 15:48











    • Your publisher isn't going to write a check to your pen name. That's just not how it works. Point 1, in order to get published, your'e going to have a sign some contracts at some point, and if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another.

      – industry7
      Jun 14 at 18:50






    • 1





      @industry7 "if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another." Depends where in the world you are. In the UK, you can call yourself whatever you want, as long as it's not for deception.

      – David Richerby
      Jun 14 at 23:41






    • 2





      In the US you need a DBA (fictitious business name) just to use the business name (and a pen name is a business name), whether you get checks made out to that name or not. While a publisher would know and use your real name for the contract/finances, if you self-publish or otherwise sell books online or in person and don't want checks/transfers to your real name, you need to have a DBA.

      – Cyn
      Jun 15 at 0:20












    Your Answer








    StackExchange.ready(function()
    var channelOptions =
    tags: "".split(" "),
    id: "166"
    ;
    initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

    StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
    // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
    if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
    StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
    createEditor();
    );

    else
    createEditor();

    );

    function createEditor()
    StackExchange.prepareEditor(
    heartbeatType: 'answer',
    autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
    convertImagesToLinks: false,
    noModals: true,
    showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
    reputationToPostImages: null,
    bindNavPrevention: true,
    postfix: "",
    imageUploader:
    brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
    contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"u003ecc by-sa 4.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
    allowUrls: true
    ,
    noCode: true, onDemand: true,
    discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
    ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
    );



    );














    draft saved

    draft discarded
















    StackExchange.ready(
    function ()
    StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fwriting.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f45972%2fis-it-a-bad-idea-to-have-a-pen-name-with-only-an-initial-for-a-surname%23new-answer', 'question_page');

    );

    Post as a guest















    Required, but never shown


























    4 Answers
    4






    active

    oldest

    votes








    4 Answers
    4






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    26


















    You can publish under any name you choose. Whether it makes a difference to your sales is a very open question, but if it makes you feel better about publishing your work, then by all means use a pen name. Many great writers have done so -- Mark Twain was a pen name; so was Andre Norton. More recently, John Varley was a pen name -- and these are just the ones I know, whose work I've read (and I'm a pretty narrow reader).



    On the other hand, people with harder names than yours have published under their birth names -- Somtow Sucharitkul, for instance (though after several years, he changed to using S.P. Somtow). Aleksandr Solzhenytsin was another.



    I'd suggest you don't worry about whether your readers can pronounce your name, and concentrate on writing work they'll want to read. If they want to read it, they'll get past your name.






    share|improve this answer





















    • 7





      Lewis Carroll, Dr Seuss, Stan Lee, George Orwell, Lee Child

      – OrangeDog
      Jun 14 at 14:04






    • 8





      I don't think Солженицын is hard for Russian speakers.

      – Grzegorz Oledzki
      Jun 14 at 16:19















    26


















    You can publish under any name you choose. Whether it makes a difference to your sales is a very open question, but if it makes you feel better about publishing your work, then by all means use a pen name. Many great writers have done so -- Mark Twain was a pen name; so was Andre Norton. More recently, John Varley was a pen name -- and these are just the ones I know, whose work I've read (and I'm a pretty narrow reader).



    On the other hand, people with harder names than yours have published under their birth names -- Somtow Sucharitkul, for instance (though after several years, he changed to using S.P. Somtow). Aleksandr Solzhenytsin was another.



    I'd suggest you don't worry about whether your readers can pronounce your name, and concentrate on writing work they'll want to read. If they want to read it, they'll get past your name.






    share|improve this answer





















    • 7





      Lewis Carroll, Dr Seuss, Stan Lee, George Orwell, Lee Child

      – OrangeDog
      Jun 14 at 14:04






    • 8





      I don't think Солженицын is hard for Russian speakers.

      – Grzegorz Oledzki
      Jun 14 at 16:19













    26














    26










    26









    You can publish under any name you choose. Whether it makes a difference to your sales is a very open question, but if it makes you feel better about publishing your work, then by all means use a pen name. Many great writers have done so -- Mark Twain was a pen name; so was Andre Norton. More recently, John Varley was a pen name -- and these are just the ones I know, whose work I've read (and I'm a pretty narrow reader).



    On the other hand, people with harder names than yours have published under their birth names -- Somtow Sucharitkul, for instance (though after several years, he changed to using S.P. Somtow). Aleksandr Solzhenytsin was another.



    I'd suggest you don't worry about whether your readers can pronounce your name, and concentrate on writing work they'll want to read. If they want to read it, they'll get past your name.






    share|improve this answer














    You can publish under any name you choose. Whether it makes a difference to your sales is a very open question, but if it makes you feel better about publishing your work, then by all means use a pen name. Many great writers have done so -- Mark Twain was a pen name; so was Andre Norton. More recently, John Varley was a pen name -- and these are just the ones I know, whose work I've read (and I'm a pretty narrow reader).



    On the other hand, people with harder names than yours have published under their birth names -- Somtow Sucharitkul, for instance (though after several years, he changed to using S.P. Somtow). Aleksandr Solzhenytsin was another.



    I'd suggest you don't worry about whether your readers can pronounce your name, and concentrate on writing work they'll want to read. If they want to read it, they'll get past your name.







    share|improve this answer













    share|improve this answer




    share|improve this answer










    answered Jun 13 at 19:15









    Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

    3,2542 gold badges8 silver badges29 bronze badges




    3,2542 gold badges8 silver badges29 bronze badges










    • 7





      Lewis Carroll, Dr Seuss, Stan Lee, George Orwell, Lee Child

      – OrangeDog
      Jun 14 at 14:04






    • 8





      I don't think Солженицын is hard for Russian speakers.

      – Grzegorz Oledzki
      Jun 14 at 16:19












    • 7





      Lewis Carroll, Dr Seuss, Stan Lee, George Orwell, Lee Child

      – OrangeDog
      Jun 14 at 14:04






    • 8





      I don't think Солженицын is hard for Russian speakers.

      – Grzegorz Oledzki
      Jun 14 at 16:19







    7




    7





    Lewis Carroll, Dr Seuss, Stan Lee, George Orwell, Lee Child

    – OrangeDog
    Jun 14 at 14:04





    Lewis Carroll, Dr Seuss, Stan Lee, George Orwell, Lee Child

    – OrangeDog
    Jun 14 at 14:04




    8




    8





    I don't think Солженицын is hard for Russian speakers.

    – Grzegorz Oledzki
    Jun 14 at 16:19





    I don't think Солженицын is hard for Russian speakers.

    – Grzegorz Oledzki
    Jun 14 at 16:19













    16


















    Partly because your name is the same as a Slovenian politician famous enough to be listed in Wikipedia, you should consider an alternative. Do you like your mother's maiden name? Would you prefer a shortened version or an English translation of your surname (Like Ana Novik or Ana Newson, for example)? It should be short enough, memorable and have some charm for you, and it should "age well."



    I've had a pseudo for years for arts things that I do that are completely unrelated to my main career, they definitely come in handy. But do tell your publisher and/or agent your full legal name :-)






    share|improve this answer






























      16


















      Partly because your name is the same as a Slovenian politician famous enough to be listed in Wikipedia, you should consider an alternative. Do you like your mother's maiden name? Would you prefer a shortened version or an English translation of your surname (Like Ana Novik or Ana Newson, for example)? It should be short enough, memorable and have some charm for you, and it should "age well."



      I've had a pseudo for years for arts things that I do that are completely unrelated to my main career, they definitely come in handy. But do tell your publisher and/or agent your full legal name :-)






      share|improve this answer




























        16














        16










        16









        Partly because your name is the same as a Slovenian politician famous enough to be listed in Wikipedia, you should consider an alternative. Do you like your mother's maiden name? Would you prefer a shortened version or an English translation of your surname (Like Ana Novik or Ana Newson, for example)? It should be short enough, memorable and have some charm for you, and it should "age well."



        I've had a pseudo for years for arts things that I do that are completely unrelated to my main career, they definitely come in handy. But do tell your publisher and/or agent your full legal name :-)






        share|improve this answer














        Partly because your name is the same as a Slovenian politician famous enough to be listed in Wikipedia, you should consider an alternative. Do you like your mother's maiden name? Would you prefer a shortened version or an English translation of your surname (Like Ana Novik or Ana Newson, for example)? It should be short enough, memorable and have some charm for you, and it should "age well."



        I've had a pseudo for years for arts things that I do that are completely unrelated to my main career, they definitely come in handy. But do tell your publisher and/or agent your full legal name :-)







        share|improve this answer













        share|improve this answer




        share|improve this answer










        answered Jun 13 at 22:47









        TimeGliderTimeGlider

        4387 bronze badges




        4387 bronze badges
























            5


















            Using the initial for the surname may actually be more distracting for the reader, because it seems like a deliberate attempt at hiding identity, such as is done when writing tell-all books about some long-held secret. It also makes it harder for reviewers and commenters to refer to you by surname; some will end up finding out your real name and using that, and that will create confusion among your readers. And a single letter alone will make it harder to find you in online searches.



            You might consider a short and catchy variant of your real name, like "Ana Nov" or "Ana Nova". Or, as others have said, your middle name, or some name in your family that has a nice ring to it and (very important) will be unique when people search for you.



            I'm also given to understand that in many cases, pen-names (and stage-names) have arisen from the suggestion of publishers or agents, who may have a good sense for the market you hope to reach. So you might consider submitting your first manuscripts with your full name, and asking for feedback at that time.



            Though, having suggested it, I will say that "Ana Nova" has a nice ring to it.






            share|improve this answer





















            • 1





              ha! I also thought of "Ana Nova", in a comment before I read your post.

              – Amadeus
              Jun 14 at 16:08






            • 1





              How about Ana Nimus

              – Robyn
              Jun 14 at 18:49






            • 1





              @barbecue that may be true in the music industry, but CCTO is correct with re to book publishing.

              – industry7
              Jun 14 at 18:55






            • 1





              @alephzero Even worse, when I Googled "Ana Nova", it thought I probably meant "Anna Nova" who is, apparently, an East German porn actress.

              – David Richerby
              Jun 14 at 23:43






            • 1





              @DavidRicherby if you look long enough, you'll find that all cool names are already taken by porn actresses. On the other hand, when you need a cool name for your character, you know where to look for it...

              – Agent_L
              Jun 16 at 7:47















            5


















            Using the initial for the surname may actually be more distracting for the reader, because it seems like a deliberate attempt at hiding identity, such as is done when writing tell-all books about some long-held secret. It also makes it harder for reviewers and commenters to refer to you by surname; some will end up finding out your real name and using that, and that will create confusion among your readers. And a single letter alone will make it harder to find you in online searches.



            You might consider a short and catchy variant of your real name, like "Ana Nov" or "Ana Nova". Or, as others have said, your middle name, or some name in your family that has a nice ring to it and (very important) will be unique when people search for you.



            I'm also given to understand that in many cases, pen-names (and stage-names) have arisen from the suggestion of publishers or agents, who may have a good sense for the market you hope to reach. So you might consider submitting your first manuscripts with your full name, and asking for feedback at that time.



            Though, having suggested it, I will say that "Ana Nova" has a nice ring to it.






            share|improve this answer





















            • 1





              ha! I also thought of "Ana Nova", in a comment before I read your post.

              – Amadeus
              Jun 14 at 16:08






            • 1





              How about Ana Nimus

              – Robyn
              Jun 14 at 18:49






            • 1





              @barbecue that may be true in the music industry, but CCTO is correct with re to book publishing.

              – industry7
              Jun 14 at 18:55






            • 1





              @alephzero Even worse, when I Googled "Ana Nova", it thought I probably meant "Anna Nova" who is, apparently, an East German porn actress.

              – David Richerby
              Jun 14 at 23:43






            • 1





              @DavidRicherby if you look long enough, you'll find that all cool names are already taken by porn actresses. On the other hand, when you need a cool name for your character, you know where to look for it...

              – Agent_L
              Jun 16 at 7:47













            5














            5










            5









            Using the initial for the surname may actually be more distracting for the reader, because it seems like a deliberate attempt at hiding identity, such as is done when writing tell-all books about some long-held secret. It also makes it harder for reviewers and commenters to refer to you by surname; some will end up finding out your real name and using that, and that will create confusion among your readers. And a single letter alone will make it harder to find you in online searches.



            You might consider a short and catchy variant of your real name, like "Ana Nov" or "Ana Nova". Or, as others have said, your middle name, or some name in your family that has a nice ring to it and (very important) will be unique when people search for you.



            I'm also given to understand that in many cases, pen-names (and stage-names) have arisen from the suggestion of publishers or agents, who may have a good sense for the market you hope to reach. So you might consider submitting your first manuscripts with your full name, and asking for feedback at that time.



            Though, having suggested it, I will say that "Ana Nova" has a nice ring to it.






            share|improve this answer














            Using the initial for the surname may actually be more distracting for the reader, because it seems like a deliberate attempt at hiding identity, such as is done when writing tell-all books about some long-held secret. It also makes it harder for reviewers and commenters to refer to you by surname; some will end up finding out your real name and using that, and that will create confusion among your readers. And a single letter alone will make it harder to find you in online searches.



            You might consider a short and catchy variant of your real name, like "Ana Nov" or "Ana Nova". Or, as others have said, your middle name, or some name in your family that has a nice ring to it and (very important) will be unique when people search for you.



            I'm also given to understand that in many cases, pen-names (and stage-names) have arisen from the suggestion of publishers or agents, who may have a good sense for the market you hope to reach. So you might consider submitting your first manuscripts with your full name, and asking for feedback at that time.



            Though, having suggested it, I will say that "Ana Nova" has a nice ring to it.







            share|improve this answer













            share|improve this answer




            share|improve this answer










            answered Jun 14 at 14:04









            CCTOCCTO

            2011 silver badge2 bronze badges




            2011 silver badge2 bronze badges










            • 1





              ha! I also thought of "Ana Nova", in a comment before I read your post.

              – Amadeus
              Jun 14 at 16:08






            • 1





              How about Ana Nimus

              – Robyn
              Jun 14 at 18:49






            • 1





              @barbecue that may be true in the music industry, but CCTO is correct with re to book publishing.

              – industry7
              Jun 14 at 18:55






            • 1





              @alephzero Even worse, when I Googled "Ana Nova", it thought I probably meant "Anna Nova" who is, apparently, an East German porn actress.

              – David Richerby
              Jun 14 at 23:43






            • 1





              @DavidRicherby if you look long enough, you'll find that all cool names are already taken by porn actresses. On the other hand, when you need a cool name for your character, you know where to look for it...

              – Agent_L
              Jun 16 at 7:47












            • 1





              ha! I also thought of "Ana Nova", in a comment before I read your post.

              – Amadeus
              Jun 14 at 16:08






            • 1





              How about Ana Nimus

              – Robyn
              Jun 14 at 18:49






            • 1





              @barbecue that may be true in the music industry, but CCTO is correct with re to book publishing.

              – industry7
              Jun 14 at 18:55






            • 1





              @alephzero Even worse, when I Googled "Ana Nova", it thought I probably meant "Anna Nova" who is, apparently, an East German porn actress.

              – David Richerby
              Jun 14 at 23:43






            • 1





              @DavidRicherby if you look long enough, you'll find that all cool names are already taken by porn actresses. On the other hand, when you need a cool name for your character, you know where to look for it...

              – Agent_L
              Jun 16 at 7:47







            1




            1





            ha! I also thought of "Ana Nova", in a comment before I read your post.

            – Amadeus
            Jun 14 at 16:08





            ha! I also thought of "Ana Nova", in a comment before I read your post.

            – Amadeus
            Jun 14 at 16:08




            1




            1





            How about Ana Nimus

            – Robyn
            Jun 14 at 18:49





            How about Ana Nimus

            – Robyn
            Jun 14 at 18:49




            1




            1





            @barbecue that may be true in the music industry, but CCTO is correct with re to book publishing.

            – industry7
            Jun 14 at 18:55





            @barbecue that may be true in the music industry, but CCTO is correct with re to book publishing.

            – industry7
            Jun 14 at 18:55




            1




            1





            @alephzero Even worse, when I Googled "Ana Nova", it thought I probably meant "Anna Nova" who is, apparently, an East German porn actress.

            – David Richerby
            Jun 14 at 23:43





            @alephzero Even worse, when I Googled "Ana Nova", it thought I probably meant "Anna Nova" who is, apparently, an East German porn actress.

            – David Richerby
            Jun 14 at 23:43




            1




            1





            @DavidRicherby if you look long enough, you'll find that all cool names are already taken by porn actresses. On the other hand, when you need a cool name for your character, you know where to look for it...

            – Agent_L
            Jun 16 at 7:47





            @DavidRicherby if you look long enough, you'll find that all cool names are already taken by porn actresses. On the other hand, when you need a cool name for your character, you know where to look for it...

            – Agent_L
            Jun 16 at 7:47











            2


















            Your name is fine. I would not choose an initial for a surname because people will wonder what you're hiding and you have to file extra paperwork for a pseudonym. But of course you can always tell people "just call me Ana N." when you want. Some of my daughter's teachers at her school go by "Mr. G" or "Ms. O" because their names are long and/or hard to pronounce.






            share|improve this answer





















            • 4





              In what regions do you need "paperwork" to use a pen-name?

              – Toby Speight
              Jun 14 at 10:39











            • @TobySpeight Any region where checks or transfers to your pen name go into a bank account in your legal name. Or where you sign a contract and need to connect the names. In the US you get a fictitious business name ("doing business as..."). I have one for my business and it's cheap and easy to do. But it still involves a trip to the county every 5 years, publishing it in the paper, and so on.

              – Cyn
              Jun 14 at 15:48











            • Your publisher isn't going to write a check to your pen name. That's just not how it works. Point 1, in order to get published, your'e going to have a sign some contracts at some point, and if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another.

              – industry7
              Jun 14 at 18:50






            • 1





              @industry7 "if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another." Depends where in the world you are. In the UK, you can call yourself whatever you want, as long as it's not for deception.

              – David Richerby
              Jun 14 at 23:41






            • 2





              In the US you need a DBA (fictitious business name) just to use the business name (and a pen name is a business name), whether you get checks made out to that name or not. While a publisher would know and use your real name for the contract/finances, if you self-publish or otherwise sell books online or in person and don't want checks/transfers to your real name, you need to have a DBA.

              – Cyn
              Jun 15 at 0:20















            2


















            Your name is fine. I would not choose an initial for a surname because people will wonder what you're hiding and you have to file extra paperwork for a pseudonym. But of course you can always tell people "just call me Ana N." when you want. Some of my daughter's teachers at her school go by "Mr. G" or "Ms. O" because their names are long and/or hard to pronounce.






            share|improve this answer





















            • 4





              In what regions do you need "paperwork" to use a pen-name?

              – Toby Speight
              Jun 14 at 10:39











            • @TobySpeight Any region where checks or transfers to your pen name go into a bank account in your legal name. Or where you sign a contract and need to connect the names. In the US you get a fictitious business name ("doing business as..."). I have one for my business and it's cheap and easy to do. But it still involves a trip to the county every 5 years, publishing it in the paper, and so on.

              – Cyn
              Jun 14 at 15:48











            • Your publisher isn't going to write a check to your pen name. That's just not how it works. Point 1, in order to get published, your'e going to have a sign some contracts at some point, and if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another.

              – industry7
              Jun 14 at 18:50






            • 1





              @industry7 "if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another." Depends where in the world you are. In the UK, you can call yourself whatever you want, as long as it's not for deception.

              – David Richerby
              Jun 14 at 23:41






            • 2





              In the US you need a DBA (fictitious business name) just to use the business name (and a pen name is a business name), whether you get checks made out to that name or not. While a publisher would know and use your real name for the contract/finances, if you self-publish or otherwise sell books online or in person and don't want checks/transfers to your real name, you need to have a DBA.

              – Cyn
              Jun 15 at 0:20













            2














            2










            2









            Your name is fine. I would not choose an initial for a surname because people will wonder what you're hiding and you have to file extra paperwork for a pseudonym. But of course you can always tell people "just call me Ana N." when you want. Some of my daughter's teachers at her school go by "Mr. G" or "Ms. O" because their names are long and/or hard to pronounce.






            share|improve this answer














            Your name is fine. I would not choose an initial for a surname because people will wonder what you're hiding and you have to file extra paperwork for a pseudonym. But of course you can always tell people "just call me Ana N." when you want. Some of my daughter's teachers at her school go by "Mr. G" or "Ms. O" because their names are long and/or hard to pronounce.







            share|improve this answer













            share|improve this answer




            share|improve this answer










            answered Jun 13 at 21:28









            CynCyn

            30.8k4 gold badges68 silver badges139 bronze badges




            30.8k4 gold badges68 silver badges139 bronze badges










            • 4





              In what regions do you need "paperwork" to use a pen-name?

              – Toby Speight
              Jun 14 at 10:39











            • @TobySpeight Any region where checks or transfers to your pen name go into a bank account in your legal name. Or where you sign a contract and need to connect the names. In the US you get a fictitious business name ("doing business as..."). I have one for my business and it's cheap and easy to do. But it still involves a trip to the county every 5 years, publishing it in the paper, and so on.

              – Cyn
              Jun 14 at 15:48











            • Your publisher isn't going to write a check to your pen name. That's just not how it works. Point 1, in order to get published, your'e going to have a sign some contracts at some point, and if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another.

              – industry7
              Jun 14 at 18:50






            • 1





              @industry7 "if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another." Depends where in the world you are. In the UK, you can call yourself whatever you want, as long as it's not for deception.

              – David Richerby
              Jun 14 at 23:41






            • 2





              In the US you need a DBA (fictitious business name) just to use the business name (and a pen name is a business name), whether you get checks made out to that name or not. While a publisher would know and use your real name for the contract/finances, if you self-publish or otherwise sell books online or in person and don't want checks/transfers to your real name, you need to have a DBA.

              – Cyn
              Jun 15 at 0:20












            • 4





              In what regions do you need "paperwork" to use a pen-name?

              – Toby Speight
              Jun 14 at 10:39











            • @TobySpeight Any region where checks or transfers to your pen name go into a bank account in your legal name. Or where you sign a contract and need to connect the names. In the US you get a fictitious business name ("doing business as..."). I have one for my business and it's cheap and easy to do. But it still involves a trip to the county every 5 years, publishing it in the paper, and so on.

              – Cyn
              Jun 14 at 15:48











            • Your publisher isn't going to write a check to your pen name. That's just not how it works. Point 1, in order to get published, your'e going to have a sign some contracts at some point, and if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another.

              – industry7
              Jun 14 at 18:50






            • 1





              @industry7 "if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another." Depends where in the world you are. In the UK, you can call yourself whatever you want, as long as it's not for deception.

              – David Richerby
              Jun 14 at 23:41






            • 2





              In the US you need a DBA (fictitious business name) just to use the business name (and a pen name is a business name), whether you get checks made out to that name or not. While a publisher would know and use your real name for the contract/finances, if you self-publish or otherwise sell books online or in person and don't want checks/transfers to your real name, you need to have a DBA.

              – Cyn
              Jun 15 at 0:20







            4




            4





            In what regions do you need "paperwork" to use a pen-name?

            – Toby Speight
            Jun 14 at 10:39





            In what regions do you need "paperwork" to use a pen-name?

            – Toby Speight
            Jun 14 at 10:39













            @TobySpeight Any region where checks or transfers to your pen name go into a bank account in your legal name. Or where you sign a contract and need to connect the names. In the US you get a fictitious business name ("doing business as..."). I have one for my business and it's cheap and easy to do. But it still involves a trip to the county every 5 years, publishing it in the paper, and so on.

            – Cyn
            Jun 14 at 15:48





            @TobySpeight Any region where checks or transfers to your pen name go into a bank account in your legal name. Or where you sign a contract and need to connect the names. In the US you get a fictitious business name ("doing business as..."). I have one for my business and it's cheap and easy to do. But it still involves a trip to the county every 5 years, publishing it in the paper, and so on.

            – Cyn
            Jun 14 at 15:48













            Your publisher isn't going to write a check to your pen name. That's just not how it works. Point 1, in order to get published, your'e going to have a sign some contracts at some point, and if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another.

            – industry7
            Jun 14 at 18:50





            Your publisher isn't going to write a check to your pen name. That's just not how it works. Point 1, in order to get published, your'e going to have a sign some contracts at some point, and if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another.

            – industry7
            Jun 14 at 18:50




            1




            1





            @industry7 "if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another." Depends where in the world you are. In the UK, you can call yourself whatever you want, as long as it's not for deception.

            – David Richerby
            Jun 14 at 23:41





            @industry7 "if you sign your pen name instead of your real name on a contract that will almost certainly be illegal one way or another." Depends where in the world you are. In the UK, you can call yourself whatever you want, as long as it's not for deception.

            – David Richerby
            Jun 14 at 23:41




            2




            2





            In the US you need a DBA (fictitious business name) just to use the business name (and a pen name is a business name), whether you get checks made out to that name or not. While a publisher would know and use your real name for the contract/finances, if you self-publish or otherwise sell books online or in person and don't want checks/transfers to your real name, you need to have a DBA.

            – Cyn
            Jun 15 at 0:20





            In the US you need a DBA (fictitious business name) just to use the business name (and a pen name is a business name), whether you get checks made out to that name or not. While a publisher would know and use your real name for the contract/finances, if you self-publish or otherwise sell books online or in person and don't want checks/transfers to your real name, you need to have a DBA.

            – Cyn
            Jun 15 at 0:20


















            draft saved

            draft discarded















































            Thanks for contributing an answer to Writing Stack Exchange!


            • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

            But avoid


            • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

            • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.

            To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




            draft saved


            draft discarded














            StackExchange.ready(
            function ()
            StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fwriting.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f45972%2fis-it-a-bad-idea-to-have-a-pen-name-with-only-an-initial-for-a-surname%23new-answer', 'question_page');

            );

            Post as a guest















            Required, but never shown





















































            Required, but never shown














            Required, but never shown












            Required, but never shown







            Required, but never shown

































            Required, but never shown














            Required, but never shown












            Required, but never shown







            Required, but never shown









            Popular posts from this blog

            Tamil (spriik) Luke uk diar | Nawigatjuun

            Align equal signs while including text over equalitiesAMS align: left aligned text/math plus multicolumn alignmentMultiple alignmentsAligning equations in multiple placesNumbering and aligning an equation with multiple columnsHow to align one equation with another multline equationUsing \ in environments inside the begintabularxNumber equations and preserving alignment of equal signsHow can I align equations to the left and to the right?Double equation alignment problem within align enviromentAligned within align: Why are they right-aligned?

            Training a classifier when some of the features are unknownWhy does Gradient Boosting regression predict negative values when there are no negative y-values in my training set?How to improve an existing (trained) classifier?What is effect when I set up some self defined predisctor variables?Why Matlab neural network classification returns decimal values on prediction dataset?Fitting and transforming text data in training, testing, and validation setsHow to quantify the performance of the classifier (multi-class SVM) using the test data?How do I control for some patients providing multiple samples in my training data?Training and Test setTraining a convolutional neural network for image denoising in MatlabShouldn't an autoencoder with #(neurons in hidden layer) = #(neurons in input layer) be “perfect”?