The Short Of It

Choosing the name you write under is a choice all writers face at some point or the other. Do you go by your real name? Your name initialed? Or a completely new pseudonym?

My choice

It’s probably not surprising that “Margery Bayne” is my real name and not a pen name. It seems to me that pen names (other than initials) have become less common in the age of the internet, as most people are encouraged to be authentic and develop personal brands online. And if I were going to make up a name, do you really think I would pick “Margery?”

I’ve grown to love my name. I didn’t as a child. I wanted to buy novelty mugs and necklaces with my name on them in tourist shops, but they were never there. And I refused and still refuse to go by any nicknames like Marge or Maggie. (It’s Margery or bust.) The spelling, while traditional, isn’t the more common “Marjorie” so I’ve been fighting misspellings my entire life. But let’s get down to it, it’s an old lady name. I’ve only met other Marjories my parents’ age or older.

But as I said, it’s mine and I’ve come to appreciate its rarity.

The pros

But the name has also had its benefits. As it’s both uncommon in general for my generation and has an uncommon spelling overall, it’s unique — even on the World Wide Web. I don’t share it with another aspiring author. When you Google me, I’m not drowned out by a bunch of similarly named Ashleys or Jennifers or Smiths. I’ve always been able to get my name — my actual name with no extras digits or dots — on social media, email accounts, and web domains.

I do not take it for granted that I get to use my own name as my author name. I’m sure some aspiring author named “Steven Kings” out there tearing his hair out because he has to pick a pen name if he ever wants a distinct career.

The cons

On the flip side, it’s all me. I hope I’m not inspiring any doxing or stalking attempts by sharing the other side of having a unique name. A fear of a lack of anonymity and privacy in my real life.