Same name as another author?

[begonefoulclutter]

Could I ask for advice please.

If I should happen to actually finish my novel and it gets as far as potentially being published, what happens if another author has the same name as you?

You’d just pick a different one. Or use your middle name / middle initial.

You publish under another name. It's called a pen name. It's surprisingly common, surprised you've not heard of it.

I think it depends.

If you're called Enid Blyton or something that's immediately recognisable, then changing it makes sense.
If your name is Jane Smith and there is another author who published one book fifteen years ago, I wouldn't worry. However it's probably better to try and make it a bit more distinctive so you can get a webpage that people will easily find.

I don’t think there are any rules like there are with actors, but you could get into trouble legally if the other author thought you were trying to pass yourself off as them or if they have their name trademarked.

Probably best to add an initial like F Scott Fitzgerald or just go by your initials like JK Rowling or JR Hartley or invent a pen name.

Of course I know what a nom de plume is, there's no need for sarcasm.