Pseudonym (1989 essay)

Meta
Title:	Pseudonym
Creator:	Susan M. Garrett
Date(s):	April 1989
Medium:	print
Fandom:	multifandom, print zines
Topic:
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Pseudonym is a 1989 essay by Susan M. Garrett.

It was first printed in a section of "How to Submit Practically Anything to Practically Anyone OR Mistakes Have Been Made", which was a part of The Fantastically Fundamentally Functional Guide to Fandom, an instruction manual meant to explain the basics of fandom and fanworks to new fans and to be a reminder to more seasoned fans.

This essay was also reprinted in Southern Enclave #52 (Winter 1999), which is online here.

The essay is meant to address careless and rude fans who both create and consume fanworks:

With a little bit of common courtesy and common sense, fans could make fandom a really keen place to work and play. Fans created this playground and only fans can be responsible for their actions.

Some Topics Discussed

• you have the right to use whatever name you want for your fanworks
• in the professional world, pseudonyms are used for a variety of reasons, and pseudonyms (and the reasons for them) have a long history
• the pros and cons of using a pseudonym
• interestingly, does not specifically bring up fans who write under a pseud to escape the censure of fellow fans, such as fans keeping a slash pseud separate from other kinds of fiction, or vice versa

From the Essay

Pseudonym, non-de-plume, nom-de-guerre... all of these are false names. As a contributor, you are well within your rights to ask that your submission be credited to whatever name you chose, whether it be your own full name, your name with a middle initial, a fannish name, or a completely fictitious name. An editor will usually agree to most requests, with the exception of the use of profanity or a name belonging to another living, breathing person.

In fandom [as opposed to "real life"], however, there are fewer reasons to use pseudonyms. Whereas professional pseudonyms are used to gain recognition, fannish pseudonyms are, more often than not, used to hide the identity. This is especially prevalent in the printing of slash and adult material. A fan who writes under his or her own name may not want the general public, family, and/or friends, to know that they write or draw material that some people might find objectionable. A pseudonym allows them to take credit for their contribution, without leaving them open for possible censure at home or in the workplace.

Another reason one might chose a pseudonym to cloak one’s identity is to assume a ‘role’. Thus, an author might choose different names for different styles of writing, or different media. An author might use one name to produce Star Trek fiction, another name when writing Star Wars, a third when writing Hill Street Blues, etc. This offers some benefit for the writer, who creates a body of work under each name and gains a reputation within each media fandom. The drawback of the situation is that people who like an author or artist’s work in one fandom may never know that the person is involved in another fandom and will not know to pick up a zine with one of that author’s stories under another name.

Editors sometimes use pseudonyms when printing their own work in one of their zines for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they have few contributors and don’t wish new contributors to think that new submissions aren’t welcome because the editor will fill the zine with the editor’s work only. Sometimes they have a story pull out at last minute and need a replacement, using a pseudonym to produce balance. Sometimes a pseudonym is used because there is a general feeling that anyone who publishes their own work writes too poorly to be accepted for publishing by anyone else (a situation that is as often true as it is false). There is also a chance that the editor feels that publishing so much of their own material will appear egotistic and using a pseudonym makes them feel more comfortable.

The final reason for using a pseudonym with intent to hide one’s identity may be because the author does not feel their work is good enough to affix their own name (a reaction which may result from shyness or humility, a canny critical ability, or excessive hubris). A fan may also use a pseudonym to make his or her name more readily identifiable — this is especially popular with artists. A one word or memorable name may stick with a reader or editor better than a very complicated multisyllabic result of centuries of serbo-croatian fraternization.

The use of a pseudonym is not necessarily good or bad. In the professional world, a male or female name could make the difference in selling in a particular genre (e.g., men writing romance novels under female names). Fannish publishing is also somewhat affected by this phenomenon, in that non-media science fiction is more salable under male than female names, but even this will pass by the wayside. A name is a powerful tool that attaches an author to a story, an artist to a work, and editor to a zine. It provides identity and recognition, assisting in getting your work out to people who will see it and enjoy it.

If you want to hide, use a pseudonym, but if you work under your own name and a pseudonym, you limit your audience and recognition factor. If you are proud of your work and have no practical reasons for using a pseudonym, use your own name. If you do use a pseudonym, do it consistently, so your audience can find you.

Other Essays in This Series

• The Seven Deadly Sins of Fandom
• S.A.S.E. or You Want an Answer When?
• Telephone Courtesy OR How to Make Enemies Without Even Trying
• A Buyer's Guide to Fanzines OR How to Not Drop $200 in a Hurry
• Ordering Zines by Mail OR Waiting by the Mailbox
• The Letterzine OR The Gift of Gab
• Research, OR Ignorance is Not Bliss
• Pseudonym
• Simultaneous Submissions, Resubmittals, and Reprints, or, Where I Have I Seen This Before?
• The Fanzine Bill of Rights
• L(etter) O(f) C(omment) or How Am I Doin'?