JK Rowling is not the only one to use a pseudonym to avoid the pressure of expectations. In the past many eminent authors have done that and some still prefer to write under an assumed name to pen their thoughts liberally. Karan Bhardwaj talks about pseudo identities
Until a few days ago, readers of The Cuckoo’s Calling were under impression that they were reading a novel by an ex-military man named Robert Galbraith. As news flashed that Galbraith is a pseudonym for author JK Rowling, the novel shot to the top of Amazon’s bestseller list. However, the revelation doesn’t come as a shock to literary buffs since many prominent novelists have adopted different names in the past. Doris lessing, Julian Barnes and Joyce Carol Oates are among many acclaimed writers who pursued their writing under a pseudonym. Not just books, even leading columnists create an imaginary identity to vent out their opinions against the system. Not many know that Jawaharlal Nehru has written a commentative article about his own personality in a daily newspaper in 1937. Recall the months of frenzied speculation in the American press about the author of the novel Primary Colours. Following months of speculation, journalist Joe Klein admitted that he was the author of the book on Bill Clinton.
An author’s mind
But what’s it that propels an acclaimed writer to hide his identityIJ Rowling points out, “Hype and expectations. Robert Galbraith has been such a liberating experience. It has been wonderful to publish without expectations.”
Author Ashwin Sanghi adds, “I can empathise with Rowling. Her Casual Vacancy was criticised because she was not expected to write ‘explicit’ content. She had to opt for a pseudonym for The Cuckoo’s Calling. Pseudonym gives author liberty. It acts as a mask for the writer.”
Sanghi released his first novel The Rozabal line under the name Shawn Haigins. “I was passionate about writing but was scared about critics. Had I released it in my name and people didn’t like it, no publisher would have given me a second chance,” says the author who later released the book in his own name. Since his books deal with mythology and history, it was no longer possible for him to shrug off his identity. “Westland explained me that people would like to talk to me. Who’s going to answer on author’s behalfIJ” he adds.
Battling perceptions
Pseudonym helps when the writer is venturing into a new genre. Anna Maxted aka ‘Sasha Blake’ once said, “A novel is an expression of the self, so if someone hates it, you’re forced to conclude that they hate you. It hurts. When my first novel was published, a critic dug out a Cosmopolitan magazine cookbook, entitled How To Be Her Kitchen love God, that I’d written at 25, to illustrate my wretched pedigree. Unfairly, she ignored my Oxbridge thesis on Medieval Christian allegory, plus the story I wrote at 10, entitled Bear in the Moon, which I take pride of. Such injury was one reason that my fifth novel, A Tale of Two Sisters, was the last I wrote in my name. I’d interviewed friends on siblings, before creating two characters who, for dramatic purposes, fell out after one gave birth. When it was published, my own sister tearfully asked if I had resented her (impeccable, supportive) behaviour when my first child was born. A complaint of authors: people always think you’re writing about them even if you’re not — although, given the title, I could see how the misunderstanding had occurred. But it was deeply upsetting. I needed to escape, literally. And so, an alter ego, Sasha Blake, an author in the vein of Jackie Collins, was born.”
An author of erotica Pleasant Kind of Heavy (Aleph Book) assumed the name Aranyani for writing. The author from Tamil Nadu, chatted via mail. “With a pseudonym, I don’t have to worry about my personality being judged. I can sit back and watch how the book is judged on its own merit. As a human being, having a nom de plume allows me to decide who knows I am the author and who doesn’t. This may sound strange in times when we post almost everything about our lives on Facebook. But even Facebook has filters that allow you to share photos with select people,” she says. When it comes to specific genres, a lot of writers worldwide choose to use different names. Hina Mobar, spokesperson of Aleph Book points out that woman authors mostly want to stay tight-lipped since it can affect their public image. “Most people read books with pre-conceived notions especially when the author is well-known. Erotica is written with pseudonym because people share fantasies only in dark,” she adds.
Rupa Publications is at present working on eight-edition Confession series. Three books are already out and the rest will be out by the end of this year. “These confessions are made by real professionals. They don’t want their identities to be revealed since it will put their careers in risk,” said Pradipta Sarkar, commissioning editor of Rupa.
Name game
Rowling’s case suggests that author’s name has become larger than the content. Aranyani states that “there haven’t been a bestseller from an anonymous author in recent times. But there are cases like Kamala Das publishing her work under the pen-name Madhavikutty.” Chiki Sarkar of Penguin India says, “Readers have always flocked to authors they know and like. A well-known author’s next book guarantees a certain amount of sales, especially in commercial fiction. But in as many instances it’s the book that counts, particularly in literary fiction.”
Marketing ploy
In our times, publicity affects the business. What is visible most is easily sold. Using pen-names have also become a marketing ploy since authors reveal their names at a later stage to give sales a boost. Rowling is under scrutiny for that matter. Sarkar gave an author a pseudonym last year as he usually wrote business books and was branching into commercial fiction. “It was a smarter move to keep those two worlds separate. An author might create a pseudonym if they have written books that have been moderately successful and then they write a book that could go big. Creating a blank slate helps them manage perception,” she says.