By J.A. (Julie) Kazimer
Okay, I’m not really dead. At least I’m not as of writing this post. With my luck as soon as I type the last word I’ll choke on my own spit and expire on the spot. Therefore, you must forgive my rambling as I don’t want this post to ever end.
So back to my being dead.
Today’s post is about Nom de Plumes, which for those of you not fluent in pretension or ostentatiousness, means Pen Name. There are many stories about why an author picks a certain pen name and even more opinions on whether or not to use one.
I did. Sort of. I use J.A. Kazimer. My reasons are much like J.K. Rowling’s. Rumor has it, Joanne Rowling’s publisher decided to use the initials J.K. (the K is meaningless, not even close to her actual middle initial) to disguise the author’s gender so boys would buy the Harry Potter books.
Lame, I know, but a very real problem even in 2015.
Since I started out writing both crime fiction and fairytale humor, in a male POV, it made sense to use J.A. when my publisher asked. When I entered the romance genre my use of initials became a little cumbersome. They also do very little to hide my true (superhero-like) identity. Unlike my most favorite of Non de Plume tales.
One fish, two fish, red fish…What the hell do you mean Dr. Seuss (real name Theodor Geisel) wasn’t a doctor? Instead he was a criminal mastermind. Okay, maybe not a mastermind, but he did throw a raging party at Dartmouth, and was subsequently booted out of his position as editor-in-chief of the school’s magazine. Mind you, this was during prohibition so he not only faced the wrath of the college but he broke federal law.
To keep writing for the magazine he’d been fired from, he wrote under the name Mr. Suess, as it seemed like the most ridiculous name he could think of.
The Dr. came later. Instead of gaining his medical license or obtaining a PhD, Seuss did it the old fashioned way. He gave himself the esteemed title as a joke, since his father always wanted him to go to medical school.
Hence, from now on, I wish to be called Princess Julie.
No. I mean it. Call me Princess. Or maybe Queen…
Anyway, one other pen name tale of note: O. Henry…well the he was really a prison guard in the Ohio prison where William Sydney Porter was incarcerated for embezzlement. Why Porter picked to use Orrin Henry’s name, we will never know, but it goes to show you. Pick a pen name that you’re willing to live with (at least until you get paroled).
So let’s play a game. If you have a pen name, tell us what it is and why you picked it. If you don’t have one, what would be your ideal one? And why? Would you use the power for good or evil? I personally pick evil, but that’s just me.
Princess Julie, Queen of All Words Staring with O is out!
Crap, here comes the tidal wave of spit…
Come hangout with me on facebook or visit my website at www.jakazimer.com.
Thank you, Princess Julie, for that entertaining train of thought! –Djipsi Rose Li 😀
Oh, I do like Djipsi Rose Li. I feel the love. Thanks. Can I call you Dj for short?
Janet, that one made me laugh out loud!!
I do not use a pen name for crime fiction, I once considered writing erotic romance and using the pen name Rici Alyn which uses letter from the middle of my first and middle name. With a cedilla under the “c” the name would sound French, right?
Needless to say, I abandoned that idea. Writing about murder is more fun.
Rici Alyn is a good one. Very spicy. And yes, oddly enough murder is more fun than sex…to serial killers. Good thing you added the writing about part.
Pen names always seem to roust out their owner, so then why do they get used? I’ll tell you if my work under a pen name is published…but won’t tell you where/when. That’s how it works, right Princess?
I bet your pen name is Dean J Miller. Nice try. I figured it out. And thanks for calling me Princess. A girl can get used to that.
I’m writing under my first and middle name because I don’t like my last name, and it’s likely to change – with my luck, in between published books (keeping fingers crossed on the published part) so why confuse the fans and/or leave me stuck with a last name I don’t like?
Besides, Demon Queen of All Things Sparkly is a little long, don’t you think?
Demon Queen of All Things Sparkly, you’re right about name changes. And I think you win the pen name discussion so far with Demon Queen of All Things Sparkly.
Very well done ! Great post.
Great post!
I thought about using “S.L. Spann” – for much the same reason as you and J.K. Rowling — I write crime fiction from a male POV – but my publisher thought “Susan Spann” (my real name) had a nice ring, and they persuaded me to be myself on the covers.
Been thinking that I’d write some truly filthy erotica under a pen name and self publish as a creative release and nothing more. No pressure to succeed, no judgement from friends and family – the ultimate freedom to just let go. As to the name, been kicking around Jane Bonden, but I’m not married to it.