Hello, friends! My next formal newsletter isn’t scheduled until closer to the end of the month, but I wanted to share a brief update with you as I step into a new chapter of my publishing journey that I’ve been thinking about for some time.
Today, I’m sharing my new pen name with my network.
Moving forward I will be writing under the name Hannah Callan, with a small branding refresh for my biweekly newsletter to bring more of my own handwriting back to my projects. I want every piece of my creative work to feel human, handmade, imperfect and impactful.
This decision to adopt a pen name has been months in the making. Let’s not get into how common of a first name ‘Hannah’ is and the multitude of challenges that can bring when trying to pull together a brand or a pen name.
It’s still my name, and it has carried me through every season of my life, so it feels appropriate to keep it as I continue sharing my creative work.
Callan finds its roots in Gaelic. It’s a nod to both my maiden name (which also starts with a ‘C’ but is considerably longer) and my Scottish ancestry, where much of my love for storytelling began. It’s simple, easy to spell, and will also be much easier to fit on the cover of a book should I be so fortunate as to publish one day.
Each author who writes under a pen name will have their own reasons for it. I first started sharing and marketing my stories back in 2023. I didn’t know whether these publishing dreams would ever be realized, so I started the new accounts with my legal name to keep things simple.
Over the past few years of learning to write consistently while balancing it with the demands of being a new mom (and while watching my audience slowly grow), I’ve observed the development of parasocial relationships in the publishing sphere.
I’ve grown up alongside the internet and know firsthand how destructive it can be to one’s mental health, as well as what it feels like to be the target of predatory behavior beyond my trusted circles.
I’ve also combed through hundreds of thousands of comments, articles, Reddit posts, and YouTube videos where authors discussed their experiences with and opinions on pen names.
In the end, these are my biggest reasons for opting to use a pen name:
It cleanly separates my professional writing career from my private life
It allows better privacy for my husband and my littles
It nods to my ancestors and helps me feel I’m honoring their legacy
It’s easier to spell and remember for readers browsing the bookshelves
If you’re considering a pen name, I encourage you (as always) to read and listen to the experiences of other authors who have taken this step. Make sure you also take the time to research and verify that a pen name you’re interested in writing under isn’t already being used by another author in the same space!
I’ll be adjusting my socials to reflect my new pen name over the coming weeks. It might be a little bumpy while I update templates, logos, floating headers, etc., but hopefully it won’t be too confusing.
In the mean time, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you write under a pen name, or have you ever considered it?
Have a great week~
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