Who Am I? Writing Under a Pseudonym

Writing under a penname has always been a tantalizing idea to me. Perhaps because I've had moments when I wished I'd been using a pseudonym all along.

(How I Was Saved By a Book.)

You know how you refer to famous people by their full name? Stephen King, not Steve. Benedict Cumberbatch, not Ben. Olivia Rodrigo, not Liv. Sure, we do this in part for clarity, so people know which Steve, Ben, or Liv you're talking about. But it's genuinely strange to become First name-Last name to a pool of strangers. And sometimes now it feels like Zoje Stage is a name that belongs to the public more than it belongs to me.

Another thing that has intrigued me about pseudonyms is the possibility of changing identities and having specific names for specific aspects of my creative endeavors. But in a world where everyone is supposed to build a brand, name-swapping is a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, a different category or genre of book—with a corresponding penname—might appeal to a new group of readers, a group that wouldn't have preconceived ideas about the content of my work. But on the other hand, a new name is an unknown brand, an uncertainty with no sales history or reviews or followers. That was the primary reason I've been encouraged away from using a pseudonym; in theory, at least a few people have heard of Zoje Stage. 

And then I wrote #AUTHORLIFE and finally had the perfect vehicle for a nom de plume.

You see, #AUTHORLIFE is a satire, and in the spirit of satires it's both comedic and tragic. It has been tremendously amusing to poke at the funny stuff—like finding just the right reader reviews to start off each chapter. And, as the story necessitated having a male main character—which I don't usually write—it struck me as fitting that the book should appear to be written by a man as well. So, the second I realized I could make an anagram of my name, Joe Zagets was born.

There was another, slightly more serious reason for initially presenting #AUTHORLIFE to the world under a penname. This novel is a satire about a notoriously secretive and sensitive industry: publishing. People in publishing—authors, agents, editors, publicists—seem to enjoy reading novels about their industry: I think we're all looking for evidence of shared experiences in this very quixotic business. But, being a bestselling author, I was concerned that some might hear "satire about publishing" and assume the novel was either gossipy or a takedown—and it is neither.

Being a professional author isn't the easiest job—the highs can be very high, but the lows can be soul crushing. However, it is by far the best job I've ever had. Some authors may occasionally sneak bits of real people into their characters, but the only real person I ever draw on is myself. And how could anyone totally avoid that, seeing how one's writing is filtered through an amalgamation of everything you've thought, felt, seen, learned, experienced? Even when writing a character who has the same job I do, I had zero interest in writing autobiographically. But I did have an interest in writing a satire with a certain brutal, if exaggerated, truth.

I think it is this exaggeration that may allow for some publishing people to see in my novel aspects of the industry that hit a little too close to home. Truly the last thing I want is for anyone to feel insulted by this depiction of an author gone rogue, but as offensive as he may be…he isn't completely wrong. My main character Mack exists because of the collective frustrations of people in a difficult field.

With the name Joe Zagets on the cover, many readers who don't follow the book world on social media may never discover that the novel is pseudonymously written. And that's fine—in my mind, there's really nothing gained by knowing; it's the marketing and publicity folks who have felt differently. My hope for this novel—regardless of if it's thought of as a Joe Zagets or a Zoje Stage title—is that it fosters conversation. Conversations about being a creative person in a money-driven society. Conversations about how the internet and technology can provide shortcuts for bad behavior. And conversations about the deep tendrils of privilege and misogyny.

Ironically, the final reason why I chose the penname Joe Zagets is it's possible that his ideas will be taken more seriously than mine.

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