Why Do ......

[LyndaB]

authors write books under assumed names, when they put something like Joe Bloggs writing as Steven Smith? I can understand them wanting to stay anonymous for various reasons, but then they wouldn't put their real name on it, would they?

[woofgang]

because their name often "says" that the book will be a certain kind of book. If they are looking to move into a new market then they might want to publish the book under a different name at first, then "admit" its them once the book has taken off

[jackthehat]

It's more to do with a departure from their usual style or subject-matter; they don't want their regular readers to be put off.......and they wish to attract new readers who may have been disinclined by the previous books.

[jno]

way back when, the author's second identity really was kept secret. I suppose they realised that when the secret got out it didn't actually affect the sales of either name; so now they do it more or less publicly for the reasons woofgang and jackthehat give.

[Peter Pedant]

or the Gospel as written by St Mark.....who probably didnt, it cd well have been someone else.

Others may have been rejected to many times in their own name


Lewis Carol wrote books on Logic in his own name,


and Jane Austen if she had written a bodice-ripper which as far as we know she didnt - would she have used her own name or Lydia Loveless ? or even Letitia (should that be.. Delicia?) Lovemore ? wwe will never know

[saxy_jag]

It can also be due to the restrictions of previous publishing contracts. If an author has a contract to write x number/genre of books under a certain name with a certain publisher, it can be a way of them being able to write for another publisher and still be able to let prospective readers know who's written the book.