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Struggling with my pen name

by Okyne
28 replies
Hi!

I'm currently looking for a pen name but not very inspired in "English" names, since I'm French

Wouldn't you have any ideas? I kinda like the name Lance myself, but regarding the last name...


Thank you!
#pen #struggling
  • Profile picture of the author Okyne
    Up! My, topics get down quickly
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  • Profile picture of the author mostphere
    Go to baby names website, that's will give you lot of ideas about names.

    :-)
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    • Profile picture of the author Okyne
      Thanks!

      But it's more about the last name, 2 first names seem to hardly fit and something like "Dupont" (French), don't really sounds good either
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  • Profile picture of the author ramkarthik
    It's not in the name but in what you offer to your reader

    That's 2 cents
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  • Profile picture of the author ramkarthik
    LOL why not try something like Bill Jobs or Steve Gates?
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Stepp
    Try this: Generate a Random Name - Fake Name Generator

    It helps you generate a name by gender and country.

    Just keep hitting the generate button until you find a name that suits you.
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  • Profile picture of the author Cash37
    Originally Posted by Okyne View Post

    Hi!

    I'm currently looking for a pen name but not very inspired in "English" names, since I'm French

    Wouldn't you have any ideas? I kinda like the name Lance myself, but regarding the last name...


    Thank you!
    Rico Suave
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      If you like "Lance", just don't pick Boyle for the last name...

      Who'd buy anything from Lance Boyle?

      Seriously, I use the random name generator linked above. Only I'm usually hunting for an "exotic" pen name.
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  • Profile picture of the author dmarze
    It is not important. All you need is to write good content under any name.

    D.Marze
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    • Profile picture of the author Okyne
      Thanks for the replies, I do think it's important too. Especially when we target professional buyers.
      The audience would except something... professionnal. Something sounding serious is a important point here. I don't see myself going with Sean Armstrong :-\
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  • Profile picture of the author CliveG
    I disagree that a name is not important. Some names have a natural impact that makes you want to read further and some are boring. Why do you think many actors and actresses change their names.

    What kind of image are you trying to project: professional, sporty, macho, etc.?
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    • Profile picture of the author ramkarthik
      Originally Posted by CliveG View Post

      I disagree that a name is not important. Some names have a natural impact that makes you want to read further and some are boring. Why do you think many actors and actresses change their names.

      What kind of image are you trying to project: professional, sporty, macho, etc.?
      Seriously? You wouldn't read a post on "Revealed! The Secret Way To Get More Offline Clients (Learn This Before Others)" if it is written by, say, Chuck Norris? (Okay that's a bad example. Anyway, you get it)
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      • Profile picture of the author Okyne
        Thank you for your kind advices.

        I already check through the website mentionned above and found some interesting ideas for the targeted clients.

        Hey, another question, someone has already consider changing his gender, pen name speaking? It may sound silly but I know it would definitely help in my case.

        EDIT : Alliterations definitely sound better, doesn't it? A good thing to remember.
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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Originally Posted by ramkarthik View Post

          Seriously? You wouldn't read a post on "Revealed! The Secret Way To Get More Offline Clients (Learn This Before Others)" if it is written by, say, Chuck Norris? (Okay that's a bad example. Anyway, you get it)
          With an over the top hyped up title like that, I don't care if the "author's" name is Jesus H. Christ. (no blasphemy intended) The only reason I might skim to the end would be to see what the writer is plugging...

          Originally Posted by Okyne View Post

          Thank you for your kind advices.

          I already check through the website mentionned above and found some interesting ideas for the targeted clients.

          Hey, another question, someone has already consider changing his gender, pen name speaking? It may sound silly but I know it would definitely help in my case.

          EDIT : Alliterations definitely sound better, doesn't it? A good thing to remember.
          Look through a popular book series like Harlequin Romances. All of the author names are WASPy sounding woman's names. I remember reading somewhere (old Writer's Digest, maybe?) that many of those books, under several different pen names, were written by men.
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      • Profile picture of the author CliveG
        Originally Posted by ramkarthik View Post

        Seriously? You wouldn't read a post on "Revealed! The Secret Way To Get More Offline Clients (Learn This Before Others)" if it is written by, say, Chuck Norris? (Okay that's a bad example. Anyway, you get it)
        Yes I am serious. Names do affect how we perceive people whether we think they do or not. The effect is more pronounced in some niches than others.
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        • Profile picture of the author Terry Hatfield
          I just grab all my pen names from the phone book.

          You could also go to whitepages.com
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  • Profile picture of the author ASM Marketing
    Actually names are very important.

    We are naturally attracted to those who we see as similar to ourselves. It's a racial trait that has been pre-programmed in people since the start of civilization. If you're an American, you would be more inclined to trust 'Joe Johnson' than 'Hans Muller', just as a native German would naturally respond to the opposite.

    Who is your audience? Are they mostly farmers from Texas, or scholars from England? Pen your name accordingly.

    Alex
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  • Profile picture of the author KenThompson
    This is an interesting topic. I agree that people do have both a
    conscious and unconscious response to names.

    So, perhaps the best approach would be to identify who your
    target market is, especially with regard to geography, income,
    and education level.

    If you can, try using Quantcast.com for demographics research.
    There may be other similar sites for this, too.

    Then go to the pen name generator mentioned above, and find
    a good name that fits your market's demographic profile.
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    • Profile picture of the author Hesaidblissfully
      I remember Eben Pagan in one of his videos talking about how he deliberately used alliteration (using the same beginning consonant sound over and over) when he came up with the name of his dating business (double your dating) and his pen name for that business (david deangelo), and he gave examples of big companies that use the same tactic, such as Coca Cola, Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme, etc. I forget the psychological reason he gave for it, other than that those types of names are easy to remember.

      Oddly enough, a lot of famous superheroes and comic book characters also have alliteration in their "secret identity" names:

      Clark Kent/Superman

      Peter Parker/Spider Man

      Lex Luthor

      Lois Lane

      Scott Summers/Cyclops

      Matt Murdock/Daredevil

      Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk
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  • Profile picture of the author thadbong
    I reckon that you should use your own name. Simply because it's a great opportunity to build your own brand. You really want to put all your products and services under your one REAL name, it avoids a lot of headaches later on.

    Imagine if you create an ebook for example, and it's under your pen name. You load it on Clickbank, and then someone buys it from your sales page. When Clickbank takes the person to the submit order form page, it shows your real name. Your customer might pick up on this and wonder why it's under a different name, cancel the order.
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  • Profile picture of the author tremayne
    Lance Sallot might be stretching it.

    Or, in a play on your real name, how about a touch of Irish with O'Koyne?
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    • Profile picture of the author lenlatimer
      Hi,
      Well this could be fun.

      Tests have shown that the postit direct mail pieces
      saying something like
      "Just thought you should read this."
      J

      that the letter "J" out pulled any other letter since everybody knows somebody with a first name starting with "J".

      So try using a "J" - for instance:
      Jack, Jason, Jeff, Jeremy, Jess, Jimmy, Jim, Joe, John, Justin

      For a last name you might pick a famous president or a well thought
      of personality in history, for example:

      Jack Washington, Jason Alexander (ops - already taken), Jeff Madison,
      Jeremy Jefferson. Wow - alliteration too! Lol - you get the idea.
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  • Profile picture of the author xntrik
    Originally Posted by Okyne View Post

    Hi!

    I'm currently looking for a pen name but not very inspired in "English" names, since I'm French

    Wouldn't you have any ideas? I kinda like the name Lance myself, but regarding the last name...


    Thank you!
    If you like the name Lance, how about FreeLance ?
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  • Profile picture of the author GeorgR.
    I am a little baffled how someone can have trouble coming up with a pen name...it really doesn't matter anyway.
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    • Profile picture of the author mojojuju
      Originally Posted by GeorgR. View Post

      I am a little baffled how someone can have trouble coming up with a pen name...it really doesn't matter anyway.
      Everything matters.
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      :)

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  • Profile picture of the author forwardtherapy
    Perhaps you want to also choose something that you will like to be called. Are there particular writers you admire? Or other people, heroes? You can get inspiration from their names and change a letter to make it your own.
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  • Profile picture of the author Xtreme23k
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author Okyne
      Well, there are definitely both opinions on this. The ones who said it isn't relevant, and the others the contrary
      Personnaly I'd see it as important, besides... it will remains for months (/years) to come on this one project, maybe I should have precised it.
      Anyway, I found a nice name starting with James :-)

      Thanks a lot for you advices.
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