Thread: Pen Name Dilemma

Hi folks!

Can an author remain anonymous with a publisher? Do they always have to reveal their real name? What if they submitted a manuscript under their pen name and didn't include their real name (yeah, yeah, a stupid move, but mistakes do happen), but then received a contract? Would it be too late to reveal their real name after the fact?

Thanks in advance.

The reason for including your real name is for tax purposes. I wonder how you got around them asking for a social security number in the contract.

To answer your question: yes. you should tell them or get a DBA number. The tax man cometh and he will be pissed. You open yourself up to fraud charges and the company up for charges if they are paying you without withholding taxes.

Unless, that is, you are paying a company to publish your book and the contract is merely one concerning their collecting money and providing a service for it. In that senario, you alone are responsible for the taxes as you will be selling it instead of the company.

Unless you're a staff writer for a publication, most authors are considered self employed. Your publisher is not responsible for withholding taxes. It is your responsibility to pay taxes on your earnings. I would suggest consulting a financial adviser or accountant for advice on how to proceed.

Regarding the use of pen names, I blogged on this subject in June at the Kill Zone: The Kill Zone: To pen or not to pen name. I hope it helps. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Joe Moore

Unless you're a staff writer for a publication, most authors are considered self employed. Your publisher is not responsible for withholding taxes. It is your responsibility to pay taxes on your earnings. I would suggest consulting a financial adviser or accountant for advice on how to proceed.

Regarding the use of pen names, I blogged on this subject in June at the Kill Zone: The Kill Zone: To pen or not to pen name. I hope it helps. Good luck.

That's good news. So a DBA is a good idea.

But the point was a contract without his real name and SSN is fraud.


NOTICES
34. Any notice or other communication in connection with this Agreement shall be in writing and thereunder deemed effective when delivered by mail, messenger or facsimile transmission to the Publisher's address contained in this Agreement and to Author's address contained in this Agreement, or such other address as either party shall specify by notice given to the other party pursuant hereto.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Publisher and Author have each caused this Agreement to be duly executed by themselves or by its duly authorized officer, as of the date first above written.

• • • • • • PUBLISHING COMPANY
            date [President [CEO] [etc.]
            date (author(s))
            ___________
            (Author's Social Security Number(s))

Originally Posted by cyberspecter

But the point was a contract without his real name and SSN is fraud.

I would bet that before you have fraud you must have intent. I don't think that's the case here. The quickest solution to this question is to ask a lawyer and at the same time discuss it with the publisher. If the book is good and makes money, who cares what name is on the royalties check. In the end, the writer pays the taxes. It sounds like a DBA is probably a good idea. But ask a lawyer. That's what they do. Good luck.

Cool, thanks for all the comments. Okay, contracts and legal aspects aside. I'm hoping to attend ThrillerFest this year. If I register under my real name, should I put my pen name on my badge? When pitching to an agent, should I introduce myself using my real name or pen name? My business cards only have my pen name on them.

I read a thread elsewhere by an author who's published a number of novels in different genres under a number of pseudonyms; from what I remember, he said that everything to do with contracts and publishers is under his real name, and they just put a pseudonym on the novel. Similarly, he attends writing events under his real name.

On the practical level, if you're Joe Bloggs and being published as Fred Smith and you write a novel in a different genre or series for which you want a different pseudonym, you don't want to be going back to the same publisher as George Jones, who they've never previously heard of. You want them to know who you are, so your manuscript gets read instead of going in the slush pile.