John asked Phoebe Fox:

Is Phoebe Fox a pseudonym? Why do so many authors adopt a pseudonym? In your opinion what are the significant benefits to there use?

Phoebe Fox Hi, John! Thanks for the question. YOU HAVE UNMASKED ME. (Wasn't that easy?) Yes, Phoebe is my pen name, although it's an open secret rather than one I'm rigid about hiding.

I opted to use a pseudonym because I'm also a book editor, working with authors of many different genres, and I felt some distinction between my careers would keep from muddying the waters.

As it happens, using a pen name comes with an upside and a downside: It's nice to have a built-in separation between the two careers, but it does lend itself to some confusion--for instance, I was recently a featured author at the Texas Book Festival in my hometown of Austin, and there was plenty of confusion among festival staff, who have known me for years. :)

Phoebe Fox was a natural fit, though--as a child, my nickname was Fifi the Fox, and I knew I'd answer to something that sounded so much like it.

You asked why so many authors use a pseudonym--I think for certain genres it's de rigueur, like romance and often erotica. In other instances authors write in more than one genre or style, or are extremely prolific (Nora Roberts's J. D. Robb identity, or Stephen King's Richard Bachman, etc.), and it's useful to separate the types of stories they write to better help with reader expectations.

I find this to be partly the case for me too--I also write upmarket women's fiction under another name, so that readers expecting the light, funny reads I write as Phoebe aren't disappointed by something deeper and a bit darker.

Long answer...Good question! Do you also use a pen name in your writing?

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