Q&A for How to Make Your Own Pseudonym

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Can I put my own name in the book that I am creating for free?

Community Answer

Yes, unless you want to remain anonymous,

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Question

Can I use a famous character's name as a pseudonym?

Community Answer

It's probably best not to, in order to avoid confusion. However, you can always take two characters you like and put their names together. For example, Harry Potter and Jon Snow could make Harry Snow or John Potter -- two unique names.

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Question

Don't I need to register a pseudonym to be legal and do things like open a bank account?

Community Answer

People do not usually open bank accounts under their pseudonyms. I would suggest you continue to use your real name for official business. If you were to become a very famous author or artist or something under your pseudonym, you could register that as your business name for copyright purposes, etc.

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Question

What if I want a name for a singer instead of an author?

Community Answer

Try alternative spellings of your name(s) and surname(s), or try only using your first name if you find it fitting enough. Avoid unsearchable words and phrases (e.g. naming yourself/your band "Girls" or "The Dollars"), and avoid unusual spellings and foreign letters, for example Tesla's Androids would work better than TΞSLΔ'S ΔИDЯOiDS, or a variation there of. Also make sure you're comfortable with the name!

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Question

Would it be a good idea to make my pen name be the same as one of the characters in my book?

Community Answer

If you want to make it sound like you are a part of the story, then why not! If you don’t want to be in the story, I wouldn’t recommend it, as that could be confusing to your readers.

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Question

How do I make a good pseudonym for children's books?

Community Answer

Make it a soft, comforting name that rolls easily off the tongue and doesn't have too many syllables. Some examples are Emma Gosse, Luca Valpuri, and Daria O' Hearn. These names are not particularly unusual, but are still memorable and sound natural. As it said in the article, also avoid alliteration and too much of one letter (i.e. L, M, R).

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Question

My name is not in English, is there any way I could make it sound more American?

Community Answer

Sure, but why would you want to do that? If you have a name that is "exotic," it will help you stand out in the crowd. If you are concerned that your name is too long, then go with step one and choose a shortened version of your name, or a nickname.

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Question

Can I use numbers for a pseudonym?

Community Answer

That might not be a very good idea, since it is very unusual to have numbers for a pseudonym. But since this is your pseudonym, that is your choice.

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Question

How do I find out if a pseudonym is being used by someone else?

Community Answer

You could search it on Google, Internet Explorer, etc. If nothing pops up, it's probably not taken, though there may not be any certain way to find out as some names might not be searchable due to low usage or age.

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