Can you write books completely anonymously?

13 replies
I am writing a book right now, and I'm revealing a lot of personal stuff that could come back to bite me in the future if I ever get "famous" or well-known. I am using a pen name, but my question is, can stuff like this be dug out after 20 years with proof that I was in fact the author of this piece of crap?

I will build a whole business with this book. I have more expensive backend products etc. ready to go. How do I go about to protect my privacy and anonymity? Will it be enough with just using a pen name + use a privacy domain?
#anonymously #books #completely #write
  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    Svedski,

    Let me get this right . . .

    "I will build a whole business with this book" which you admit is "this piece of crap."

    That's a very strange and dubious way to build a business.

    Yes, of course you can write books anonymously. Whether the information "comes back to bite you" will of course depend upon what you write and who reads it. That's not something that any Warrior is going to be able to answer definitively for you.

    I would suggest you spend some time on this forum observing and learning what it takes to build a successful business. From what you have said so far, I wonder if you should even start any business given the plan you've unveiled.

    I hope you learn about Internet marketing from your time here on the WF.

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author svedski
    Hi Steve I know very well how to build a business. I called it piece of crap not because it is, but because that's how I feel about it this moment (takes a lot of effort to write it).

    Lets make something up here. Lets say that in this book, I commit to a murder. However, I don't reveal the details of it, just that I have murdered somebody (I haven't though, it's just for the sake of the argument). I write and release this book under a pen name and sell 10,000 copies. Then 20 years from now, I become a famous actor. I star in some big-budget movie and all of the sudden I'm all over the place. What I want to do is to make sure that it is practically impossible to link this book written under a pen name to the real me, if that makes sense.

    Cheers
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      You can make it difficult, but if someone wants the truth badly enough, they'll find a way to get it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
    Originally Posted by svedski View Post

    I am writing a book right now, and I'm revealing a lot of personal stuff that could come back to bite me in the future if I ever get "famous" or well-known. I am using a pen name, but my question is, can stuff like this be dug out after 20 years with proof that I was in fact the author of this piece of crap?

    I will build a whole business with this book. I have more expensive backend products etc. ready to go. How do I go about to protect my privacy and anonymity? Will it be enough with just using a pen name + use a privacy domain?
    Writing under a pen name is a good start, but it's only a start. Secondly, you'll want to change the names, places, and some of the facts in the book if you want to protect your privacy. People do that all the time.

    Secondly, you'll want to form some type of corporation that makes senses to your business model in your jurisdiction and depending on how that structure relates to how you pay taxes, intellectual property, and asset protection.

    There are consultants out there that can help you be completely anonymous. It takes some doing but it is very possible.

    RoD
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    "Your personal philosophy is the greatest determining factor in how your life works out."
    - Jim Rohn
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Hill
    I don't even know where to begin with this one...

    First of all, if you're that concerned with anonymity then don't release the book. But if you still want to then why not change the real names in your book to fictitious names to protect people's identity?

    Because, I can tell you right now if you name names they will most likely sue the pants off you and there, your anonymity is wide open for all to see.

    If you don't want to change the names then that tells me you have an axe to grind and want to "expose" people and events which is highly risky, even if it is true.

    Simply registering a website anonymously will not keep you hidden per say. For instance, if you do in fact name names and specific events then the people involved will immediately have an idea of who wrote or released the book. Enough instances that overlap from one event to another will narrow the culprits down to but a few.

    So before you look into trying to hide why not eliminate the "calling out" of others?
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  • Profile picture of the author svedski
    Thanks for the replies.

    I have already changed the events and the names of people involved, even changed the stories around a little bit so that there can't really be a connection to me or anyone else that I know. I am not really worried that if someone that I know reads it, they will think: "Hmm...I think I know this guy." All I'm worried about is that if I get more well-known (by my real name) that some schmuck journalist is going to dig up a bunch of things from my past, go live on TV and say: "Look at what this guy said in a book 20 years ago, under the fake name of X".
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    • Profile picture of the author DeborahDera
      At the time Stephen King began writing, there was a climate in the publishing world where if you published too frequently you were considered to be subpar because you were writing too fast. That's why Stephen King began publishing the Richard Bachman books. He was eventually found out (pretty easily).

      It can happen. But will it really matter?

      Originally Posted by svedski View Post

      Thanks for the replies.

      I have already changed the events and the names of people involved, even changed the stories around a little bit so that there can't really be a connection to me or anyone else that I know. I am not really worried that if someone that I know reads it, they will think: "Hmm...I think I know this guy." All I'm worried about is that if I get more well-known (by my real name) that some schmuck journalist is going to dig up a bunch of things from my past, go live on TV and say: "Look at what this guy said in a book 20 years ago, under the fake name of X".
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      • Profile picture of the author angshuy2k
        [DELETED]
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        • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
          You know, if I had a crystal ball or could foretell the future with 100% accuracy, I would answer your question. However, since that is highly unlikely to happen, I suggest that you weigh the pros and cons very carefully before you proceed.

          So, you're planning on becoming famous and well known?

          Are you pursuing an acting career, broadcasting, musician, singer, or are you aiming at becoming a world renown author? Just curious. That part to me was the most intriguing portion of your post, lol!

          Terra
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          • Profile picture of the author svedski
            Originally Posted by MissTerraK View Post

            You know, if I had a crystal ball or could foretell the future with 100% accuracy, I would answer your question. However, since that is highly unlikely to happen, I suggest that you weigh the pros and cons very carefully before you proceed.

            So, you're planning on becoming famous and well known?

            Are you pursuing an acting career, broadcasting, musician, singer, or are you aiming at becoming a world renown author? Just curious. That part to me was the most intriguing portion of your post, lol!

            Terra
            My plan is basically to become a gazillionaire. And with that, I'll probably do a little bit of everything. Writing scripts, shooting movies, acting, singing, dancing, hosting shows, writing books, you never know what happens!

            Probably I'll just sit and talk with Larry King and give entrepreneurial advice on CNN to the public. Hopefully Shark Tank will still air at that time then I can be in that as well.
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            • Profile picture of the author bloggerd
              I can't work out if your serious or you've been tooting on the whacky pipe..

              But Good luck with it
              Originally Posted by svedski View Post

              My plan is basically to become a gazillionaire
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            • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
              Originally Posted by svedski View Post

              My plan is basically to become a gazillionaire. And with that, I'll probably do a little bit of everything. Writing scripts, shooting movies, acting, singing, dancing, hosting shows, writing books, you never know what happens!

              Probably I'll just sit and talk with Larry King and give entrepreneurial advice on CNN to the public. Hopefully Shark Tank will still air at that time then I can be in that as well.
              Haha! Good luck with that.

              I can tell you from experience in some of your above mentioned aspirations, even if you don't become a gazillionaire, the process is loads of fun!

              Terra
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  • Profile picture of the author Claire Koch
    maybe he will but that isnt all there is to life my friend
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  • Profile picture of the author jbsmith
    Sounding more like John McAfee all the time...welcome to Warrior Forum :-)

    Jeff
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