Publish Initials Deed For Free

A large number of authors choose to use some form of initials in their name when it appears in their literary work. This includes some of the most famous authors of the 20th century ? D. H. Lawrence, J. D. Salinger, T. S. Eliot, J. R. R. Tolkien, etc.

In the U.S., the middle name is often abbreviated to the middle initial (e.g. Mary Lee Bianchi becomes Mary L. Bianchi). This is usually standard for signatures or omitted entirely in everyday use (e.g. just Mary Bianchi).

However there are plenty of authors who prefer initials to first names in full so as not to be obviously male or female, or so that readers will draw their own conclusions and arrive at whichever they prefer. Obviously you can choose whichever format you prefer, but beware of potential pitfalls.

Yes, you can do it. You need to sign all the contracts with the publisher under your own name, but you can definitely use a pen name on the book.

J. R. R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings) came from a place and period in England where many authors wrote using their initials. C. S. Lewis (Narnia) was a friend and neighbor of Tolkien's, and the same expectation applied. J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter) is also British.

You share a name with another author or famous person. Your middle initial will distinguish you and your book from the other author's books.

With some it may be because they are embarrassed by their first names and/or they think the initials sound or look cooler. Many people refer to John Fitzgerald Kennedy simply as JFK, but he didn't call himself that.

They knew that using initials can do many things including add a touch of mystery, a patina of literary authority, even a little magic. It places an author in a tradition that includes many of the most celebrated authors of all time including D. H. Lawrence, J. D. Salinger, T. S.