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Permalink Reply by Misty Chavis Rosenfeld on October 25, 2011 at 9:45pm

You have the same concern that I do - My maiden name appears on most of my computer accounts, email addresses : granted , my maiden name isn't as long or as complicated as yours is, but still, I have to wonder if it is the name that I want to use -- I've considered using my grandmothers maiden name as my pen name since she is the one respobsible for my love or reading, writing, flowers & music: Misty is a carry over from my surfing days of my long ago youth but legally added it to my given Christian name - ie: Misty MacRae     

Given/married name: Misty D.E. Chavis Rosenfeld

 

I don't have a web page yet - I don't have a blog yet but I also don't have a book that has been published as of yet either -

 

Maybe we both can get some answers

 

Misty

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Permalink Reply by Astra Groskaufmanis on October 26, 2011 at 2:26am

Thanks Misty.  I think both Misty MacRae and Misty D.E. Chavis Rosenfeld are very powerful :)

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Permalink Reply by Kelli Swearingen on October 26, 2011 at 2:57pm

I use my maiden name because I don't want my writing to be associated with my ex husbands last name.People have asked me why I haven't changed it back but we have a son together and for my son at least, it gives him a sense of family.  I know it probably sounds weird. I just write under Swearingen,my maiden name. Everything legal is under my married name.

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Permalink Reply by Sabine A.Reed on October 30, 2011 at 1:41am

I use a totally fictional name, and I use it everywhere. Sabine A. Reed is a distorted and imaginative version of my real name. I use it here, on twitter, on my book The Black Orb, on Suite 101 where I write articles, goodreads, shelfari...basically everything writing and publishing related has my pen name. On suite101, shewrites and the publisher's place I had to tell them that it was my pen name. But people expect writers to have pen name so it's no big deal. I think it establishes a brand, and it's easier to link sites to each other if I have the same name everywhere. I started using it because I wanted this part of my life to be totally separate from my everyday job, my husband's  business where I work. And I have never regretted the move. So go for it!

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Permalink Reply by Astra Groskaufmanis on November 4, 2011 at 9:18am

Thanks Sabine, I've been published very little (few websites here and there and local paper) so I still have time to consider a pen name before "separating" myself as you say.  I appreciate your feedback!

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Permalink Reply by Astra Groskaufmanis on November 4, 2011 at 9:21am

Thank you Kelli; I totally understand your using your maiden name for your writing - not weird at all.  I thought of using my husband's last name which is 'chisholm' but thought Astra Chisholm sounded like some terrible affliction or something that would require responding with 'god bless you!'  Ah well, time to ponder some more.  Thanks for your feedback!

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Permalink Reply by Kelli Swearingen on November 5, 2011 at 5:43am

 You're funny! Chisholm is a tough sounding name. You could start writing westerns using A. Chisholm. I like your last name,I can't figure the meaning out- except that "Gros" means big and  "kauf" is to buy in German. I'm taking liberties with "Gros" because I don't have a German keyboard with the double "s" key. If the last part of your name wasn't "manis" just "man" Your name would translate roughly as Big Buy Man. That's totally off topic though, I get distracted by etiologies of names,fascinating stuff. I always wanted to use the name Esther Winkle as a pen name but I don't have the guts,ha!

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Permalink Reply by Regina Y. Swint on November 5, 2011 at 2:28pm

I think Misty MacRae is a pretty cool name.  I can see it on book jackets easily.

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Permalink Reply by DelRica Jackson on November 5, 2011 at 10:42am

My pen name is DelRica.  I never wanted to use a last name and have thought about adding Princess to the front of it.  But I don't want to come off too weird.  I haven't been able to corner it on other sites for brand building purposes because, as unique as it is, there is another woman in the DC area who is a poet with the same name.  I'll readily admit, she does have more notoriety than I do and I'll have to come up with a way to separate us, but for now I just go with DelRica.

I can understand your issue.  Maybe you can shorten your last name -- that's been done throughout history.  I love your first name, by the way.  But Astra Gross or Astra Kaufman work well.  But it may serve you well to keep it the way it is -- think Dostoyevsky.  

The idea of making up a new name is a great one too...I think I'd be Cameron St. Clair.

I've thrown out a lot of options, I know. And I may not have helped at all; sorry about that.  The bottom line is that you choose something that represents you and your writing and commit to it.  Then you can begin using it absolutely everywhere.

Hope I've helped.

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Permalink Reply by Astra Groskaufmanis on November 6, 2011 at 6:40pm

Thanks DeRica - I do appreciate your perspective.  I'll have to think on it for a while yet!

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Permalink Reply by Ms. Tiptress on November 5, 2011 at 11:26am

I use a pen name but sometimes I worry if I'm doing the right thing by using a pen name. I'm a black woman so when you use a name like "Ms. Tiptress" I hope to not attract the "Ghetto" aspect. But I have been using that name for years.. I think pen names are awesome because sometimes you just don't want to much of your business out there and can be fun. And sometimes pen names are for the different personalities writers have (like I) lol. So I use Ms. Tiptress as a blogging name, facebook, twitter, and for black erotica writing.. but I'v been thinking hard about changing it when I'm ready but to another Pen name (which is a combination of my father and grandmother's names) for use on the my horror writing. Ms Tiptress does not sound like a horror writer... Nora Roberts uses a pen name J D Robb and I read somewhere that it's used because writing is such a "man's" world so she used it so others would think she was a man (Don't quote me on that you know how media can be) But I say go for it! Choose a name that represents you and your writing.. It may make you more comfortable

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Permalink Reply by Astra Groskaufmanis on November 6, 2011 at 6:42pm

Thanks for your feedback Ms. Tiptress.  As I said to DelRica, I'm going to think on it a bit longer.  It has, however, been truly fascinating to hear the different reasons people choose or choose not to use a pen name!  Thank you.

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