Should I use a pseudonym?

[brainshrub]

I have been asked to write a series of articles and I may even do a radio show. I'm not going to write anything revolutionary, but anything to the left of Mussolini is considered radical... I don't want conservatives to harass me.

What are the pros & cons of a pseudonym?

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. I use one

But just because I never liked my name. :-) Would you like to pick your own name? Then, go for it.

[nostamj]

2. I used one for writing PORN

but never for writing politically.

aside from a very few freeper emails, never got harassed.

good luck!

[Killarney]

3. Is your real name common or rare?

I have a rare name, so I would be easy to find. Therefore, I use a pseudonym when I write pieces that might get me a brick through the window. Even letters to the editor, I use a different last name.

But, if my name was something common, I'd feel safe enough to use that.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

4. Here's what happened to me

When my first novel was published, it bore my real name (which is very distinctive). Some wonderful things happened because of that, like the old college friend who had been out of touch for a lot of years, and who found my book in a Manhattan bookstore as he was about to board a flight home to Tuscany, and who got in touch with my publisher and tracked me down.

That was grand, as were some similar, albeit not quite as dramatic, events.

It also brought out every loony I've ever encountered, and a whole bunch I'd never met. It got scary, even though I was perfectly protected beforehand - unlisted phone number, different name in my other profession, etc. Plus, my publisher did a great job of screening and keeping the headcases away.

I've got another book in the stores now and it bears a pseudonym. I'll never be that flagrant with my real name - and my real sense of safety - again.

So, I guess it all depends on how much exposure you're going to get - what personal appearances, readings, how many print and electronic interviews, photographs, etc.

[tjdee]

5. Was your novel incendiary or political?

I have a very unique name also.

I've been okay on the internet (I used to write for a very small site), but should I ever publish a novel I wonder if I should consider another name.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

6. It was both

Plus, it wasn't very friendly to the Catholic Church. It covered things like the right to die, and that, apparently, makes a lot of people think they are obligated to hunt you down and explain to you the error of your thinking.

My publisher, though, - HarperCollins - is great about weeding out the whackjobs and keeping me protected.

Hey, if you ever get published, use your real name, at least for your first one. Nothing compares to the buzz you get when you walk into a bookstore and see that big display with your book and your name splashed all over the cover. It's the thrill of a lifetime, comparable to the first time you hold your baby.

Good luck.

[Liberty Belle]

7. For that topic, I'd pick a pseudonym.

I write my newsletter as Liberty Belle. Sometimes I'll morph the name a step further, as when "Libby Belle" made calls to some of those good 'ol boy southern Congressman.

As long as your real name's on the paycheck, that's what counts.

[henslee]

8. I just sold an article about bias in media and I used one. It is not a

big piece but it is a mainstream mag and I do get specific. Call me paranoid but you never know. I've seen the government destroy lives first hand.