Pseudonyms/non de plumes/fake names

[Becky the Evil Flower]

How many of you guys use fake names? Why do you or why don't you use them? How did you choose yours? In general, what's up with your alias?

I use Inertia because I want privacy. Every name in my zine is an alias and some of them are more fitting than their actual name. For example, I call my tiny, passive, darling little sister Mouse.

[kit feral]

Oh yeah... I use my real address... now that I think about it, I'm doing a TERRIBLE job of hiding my identity! I guess I'm not really trying to. I think I just find my real name boring and I like to use something a bit more flowery. :P

Harley R. Pageot said:

I use my full real name and full address. I have nothing to hide.

When I'm writing about other people I usually just use their first name. There's a lot of people named Jennifer and Stephanie so I'm not really destroying their privacy.

[Harley R. Pageot]

Wait. Star Blanket River Child isn't your real name?

You're suddenly not as interesting anymore.

[kit feral]

Ahahaha. I wish I had that kind of parents.

Harley R. Pageot said:

Wait. Star Blanket River Child isn't your real name?

You're suddenly not as interesting anymore.

[W. Alan Fare]

I used to use a nom deplume in fanzines decades ago, but started using my real name regularly about 12 years ago. Back in the day I went by "Bosco". I used my real name before, but not that often, when I wrote for less risque publications. To this day I use my middle name for writing just because I use my first name for my business work. If I get a letter or a call from someone responding to "Alan", I know they are inquiring about my writing. If they reply with "William", I know I probably did something wrong! And if a response come in as "W. Alan" I can rest assured it's either a zine looking for ad money or a struggling film maker looking for help. Though I try to help everyone who asks, I'm not too generous to just want a free ride.

[Nichole]

I use just my first name in my writing. Not that I care if friends or family read my zines (in fact, my mother urges me to mail her copies all the time, which says a lot about our openness with each other), but I don't really think it's relevant or helps me tell a better story to include my last name. I tend to ask permission of my friends to use their first names though, since there are quite a few people in the area who read my zines. I would hate to have someone recognize them in a story if they don't wish to be recognized. So far everyone has been pretty cool about it.

[Royce Icon]

I've been using a fake last name on all of my art for about 10 years, really because I didn't like my real last name more than privacy or anything. It's more of a creating my own self identity kind of thing.

[Persephone Pomegranate]

When I started creating zines years ago I used my real name. But now I have a high profile online job and need to have more anonymity than I used to. I don't need my vegan, socialist, feminist views coming up when clients google my name lol.

[R.John Xerxes]

All those whose mind entitles themselves,
and whose main entitle is themselves,
shall feel the wrath of my bombast!
- Mark E. Smith, The Fall, Bombast.

[Josh Saitz]

I instinctively distrust any zine done by someone who won't give their name, unless it's a reall controversial subject. If you want ppl to take you and your work seriously, put your name on it. If you want privacy, maybe you could just misspell your name by a letter or use a first initial instead of your first name. You should also get a PO Box.

[kit feral]

I would hope people still take my work seriously when I'm using a pen name. I'm hoping writing will be my future career and I might not necessarily want zines I wrote in high school/university connected to me when I'm older. Also plenty of published authors have used pen names for some or all of their work, I don't see why it should impact how seriously you take it.

Josh Saitz said:

I instinctively distrust any zine done by someone who won't give their name, unless it's a reall controversial subject. If you want ppl to take you and your work seriously, put your name on it. If you want privacy, maybe you could just misspell your name by a letter or use a first initial instead of your first name. You should also get a PO Box.

[Erica S.]

People to not take seriously: George Eliot, James Tiptree Jr., George Orwell, Mark Twain. Seriously, might want to look at who you're painting with that broad brush.

Josh Saitz said:

I instinctively distrust any zine done by someone who won't give their name, unless it's a reall controversial subject. If you want ppl to take you and your work seriously, put your name on it. If you want privacy, maybe you could just misspell your name by a letter or use a first initial instead of your first name. You should also get a PO Box.

[Josh Saitz]

None of those people did perzines as far as I know. That's what I am talking about. I have nothing against pennames at all, I just find it hard to believe a story written by someone calling themself Bunnnnnigrrrrrrrl.

Erica S. said:

People to not take seriously: George Eliot, James Tiptree Jr., George Orwell, Mark Twain. Seriously, might want to look at who you're painting with that broad brush.

Josh Saitz said:

I instinctively distrust any zine done by someone who won't give their name, unless it's a reall controversial subject. If you want ppl to take you and your work seriously, put your name on it. If you want privacy, maybe you could just misspell your name by a letter or use a first initial instead of your first name. You should also get a PO Box.