How to be anonymous

[pseudonymyname]

The only way to make sure would be to withhold your real name from the publisher and agent. But would you not legally need to use your name for tax purposes and payments ?

Many people manage to successfully use a pen name but give their real name to the agent/publisher.

It would be a bit harder to remain totally anonymous not because someone in the industry would let slip your real name, but more because most publishers and agents and publicists etc ask for author head shots.

So the writers family/friend etc would likely recognise them if they happened to see their book. I guess it depends on your reasons for anonymity.

No idea how it works for tax purposes if the publishers didn’t have your real name. No publisher has ever asked me for ID but for ethical /legal reasons I’m not sure if publishers would agree to going forward with you without knowing what your real name is.

They wouldn't be able to pay you without your bank details & the name on the account.

I wonder, if I legally changed my name, would it be easy to track onto my current name... something common. I really do feel daunted by the idea of becoming well known, of course that's a massive assumption, but it's not like I'm going into it with anything but a high expectation as the goal at least

I wondered about this as I would like to write a diary about my profession

Do you have a spouse/partner whose name you could write it in? Thinking of folk who send controversial letters into newspapers under a family member's name.

That's a great idea, would never have occurred to me... I'm going to give this a good think. I've just thought of another idea- write under my own name, then change my name and start a new life, lol

I don't have a partner, but I'm thinking one of my siblings

although they'd have to trust me to take care of taxes

As long as you trust them, I don't see why a sibling wouldn't work. The only possible problem would be their tax position if the book was a howling success - bumping them into a higher tax bracket - this would obviously be easier to sort out if it was someone whose finances you shared.

x-post!

I really, really wouldn't worry about the perils of becoming well known - unless you are eg the daughter of a pop star or a million-pound bank robber and you will be writing about elements of their real life.

Pretty sure you would have to give your real name to the publisher and agent. They would think you too much trouble to bother with otherwise, unless of course you are so brilliant that all they can think when they read your first sentence is "Hats off, gentlemen".

Using a pen name otoh would be no problem at all and would give you enough anonymity for most purposes (other than in the pop star or bank heist scenarios)

You can't pretend to be a relative for tax purposes! Pretty sure that would be legally dodgy!!!

I won a tiny short story competition years ago and then became terrified that its online publication would be seen by a relative who was the inspiration for part of the story. I asked the organiser if I could be anonymous and he was a bit pissed off by the request. We settled on using first name +middle name, instead of surname.

Thanks for the info. One of my brothers is quite a high earner

A big part of selling books though, is book tours...

I like that- Hats off, gentlemen, lol. It's more... I have a... criminal record. And a whole lot of psychiatric records, which is embarrassing for me. It would be a bit juicy for someone who tracked down my identity, if I did by some crazy fate become well known as a writer.

I know medical records aren't public during our lives, but I've read that personal records become public a hundred years after your death, and I'm not sure that would apply here. Who knows, concerning the future- and even that does bother me. I know I can use a pen name, and I have one ready, but from what I've seen everyone seems to be found out eventually. I would need to really trust an agent/ publisher and everyone they work with, and then there's copywriting you need to sign

Yes, that is an excellent point. I think publishers increasingly want authors who can essentially be their own PR department, on social media and at events. That's even more true if you are self-published. The self-published author that I know seems to spend all her time putting herself out there in one way or another. It is practically her career.

Could it be, OP, that your concern is more deeply motivated not by your name but by the proximity of the book's contents to the reality of your own life, or some of the people in it? If so, a name change would not relieve the anxiety that you feel.

EDIT: Apologies. Cross post. I see your concerns are different.

Could you write fiction and let your experience inform rather than disclose? That's what the likes of Miranda July did.

@ReadWithScepticism I guess, I was thinking the book would need to be good enough, that I could say I won't be doing any of this in no uncertain terms, and they would accept this... I realise I'm aiming high. And yeah, one of my characters resembles my mum. It's just so easy to write our dynamic

I really do though just have almost a phobia of people knowing me publicly, as well as everything else. I've always had social anxiety

I really do though just have almost a phobia of people knowing me publicly

I certainly understand that fear. It is one of the reasons why MN is so appealing, with its many name changes

What about self-publishing? It puts you ore in control and is very very respectable now.

Alternatively, if an agent or publisher bit (and were keen enough to compromise), you could have some sort of non-disclosure clause about your name written into the contract

I think you need to get over your anxiety. You haven’t even got a deal or an agent! Start publishing on Substack and ease yourself in. Self publishing is fine but you’re still going to have to promote it! Even more so.

Thank you for that last part- I never knew that was an option. Can you make a lot of money self- publishing ? I mean, with amazon, wouldn't you need to have a lot of sales to be placed high ranking enough to really be seen. When I try a new author, it's because it's recommended when I'm looking for a Stephen King or Claire North novel to read

How far have you got with your book?

@Yougetmoreofwhatyoufocuson 9000 words