Pen Name

I think that once my mystery, The Annuity Contract, is published, I will do so under a pen name. I've written two books on finance under my real name, and although one of those books really is on annuities, this current work in progress will approach annuities from a very different perspective. This is a mystery/thriller and not a piece of non-fiction writing as I have already established as my line of expertise.

I never thought that I would ever use a pen name, but then again, I never expected to first break into the world of professional writing through the financial industry. I am convinced that I beat out others to land the annuity book contract because I was a licensed life insurance agent at the time. This gave me an authority that other qualified freelancers did not have. Now, I want some separation between my different lines of work, and I think a pen name is going to be the best way to do this.

I will still list my qualifications on the inside of the book as a former life insurance agent. I think this will give me credibility writing about the subject of annuities and finance--even in this fictional setting. Again, a mystery/thriller is a much different type of writing than covering the actual financial instrument for purely informational purposes.

Any thoughts on what goes into a successful pen name? I want something that's catchy, yet believable. I have been brainstorming ideas the last few days, but nothing definite yet. I look forward to seeing your responses and ideas in regards to a pen name!