How to publish by penname vs real name

[cspring]

Ed,

I just found my article published on a web site that gave reference to my real name as the author. The article had been sold as usage right. I appreciate the fact that they gave me proper credit. But can I request CC to sell my work with a pen name such as Spring Stillman? Would that be workable?

I contacted that web site to request using my pen name via their web site. So far I have not built a writer's web site as my marketing tool either. So I just wish to limit the exposure of my real name on the internet. Does that make sense?

Do all CC writers publish by their real names when they sell their work by usage rights? Thank you for your thoughts.

cspring

[Ed]

You will have to include the name you want to use in the article.

These types of problems should be dealt with through CC, since the customer is dealing the CC, not individual authors. Please email Support with such issues. The website owner/customer should not be contacted directly.

Ed

[cspring]

Ed,

Thank you for your reply. Will follow advice.
Sorry that I did not realize the customers were not to be contacted directly - given that public request customers could contact the authors and vice versa via the Q and A. But I understand CC's concern.
cspring

[JD]

This is a "problem" that's been ongoing for a while, I believe.

I have never published an article under my real name here at CC. Yet I know that there are at least two articles of mine (bought here) that are posted on the Web with my real name attached to them. I can only assume that the publishers got my real name through their transactions with CC. And after all that time I spent thinking up a pen name....(!)

Seriously though, while I don't want to get too precious about it, it's something that shouldn't happen. There are reasons why a writer wouldn't want their "real" name attached to an article, and of course writing under a pen name should guarantee a certain anonymity.

I think there’s less chance of a publisher printing a writer’s real name (over their pen name) if the writer’s pen name sounds real (if you see what I mean). I assume that in respect of my articles, the publishers weren’t content with JD and wanted a name that sounded a little more “real.” It adds credence to the article, I think.

[Celeste Stewart]

I hope our real names are not readily available because there are indeed many valid reasons why some of us choose pen names. Having been stalked by a crazy ex-boyfriend ages ago complete with guns and all that fun drama - only to come face to face with him some 20+ years later last year, I'm not interested in my real name being circulated on the web. It's hard enough dealing with the local aspect of staying under the radar without an Internet trail of any sort... Having a pen name for me is both a protection physically as well as one that keeps my professional personas separate. I am writing a couple of young adult novels under a different name - not the Celeste name. These are just two of the many reasons I can think of to have pen names, especially online.

[Ed]

I don't know how these would become available to customers, unless they are somehow included in the file - someone once suggested that the name attached to the software used to submit articles sometimes made the owner's name visible. Let me take this up with HQ.

[Celeste Stewart]

Yeah, I know that Microsoft Word will show the name you registered MS Office with under the document's properties unless you tell it otherwise. I don't mind my customers knowing my name, most do. I would just object if it were published instead of Celeste. It hasn't been a problem for me because I always put "By Celeste Stewart" right at the top of each article. And like JD said, it helps that Celeste Stewart is professional sounding. If I put "By MonkeyGrrrl" or something like that, then I can see the customer would probably want a more professional presentation.

[Ed]

I completely agree. Pennames should sound professional, or a professional-sounding byline should be included in the article.

[Ed]

The only way we can figure out that your real names are being revealed is by your word processing program's registration. If I hear anything else, I'll let you know. If you're concerned about this, please include a byline in the article as you would like it to read, even if having a byline isn't important to you.

[Celeste Stewart]

For those who don't want their name buried in their Word documents, here's how to remove it in Word 2007:

Go to the Office button on the top left of the screen and click Prepare. Next click Inspect. Let the Inspector check all options. Once the scan is complete, it will give you a choice to remove found information. For example, under Document Properties and Personal Information a button that says Remove All will appear if information such as your name is held in the document's properties. Click Remove All and you're done.

[Ed]

Thanks for your help, Celeste, as always.

[Celeste Stewart]

Glad to help. Someone else will have to tell us how to do this in earlier versions of Word as I'm too beat to look it up... :) I think it's File>Page Properties but I'm not sure.

[DSWaltenburg]

For Word 2003, I don't know that you can change documents that have already been saved in the past, but with new ones, from this point forward, you can eliminate or change user name, by doing this:

1. Open Word
2. Open a blank document
3. On toolbar at top, select Tools, and then Options from the drop-down menu
4. On Options Menu, select the User Information tab
5. On User Info tab, delete personal name, address, and initials or change to suit your preferences
6. Click OK

From this point on, when you save the document, your personal info should not appear anywhere within any new Word documents.

If this is incorrect, or if there's an easier way to do the same thing, somebody PLEASE chime in? :)

Rock on!