Do you need a business name?
If your only publishing as yourself, just use your name. It’s free.
But…
A business name can make you seem more legitimate. Like you had a gatekeeper give you a stamp of approval.
It’s up to you, but as an individual writing under one name, unless you’re making enough to need a tax break or legal protection, you don’t need one.
Is it a good idea for authors with pen names?
I’ve done a lot of debating about using multiple pen names, but I finally made the decision to go for it. I could write a whole post on why, but that’s not the point here.
Managing several author names is difficult. It can be tough staying relevant on all the platforms as one person. Four would be far too much. Though I like the seperation of content that pen names allow, I wanted one unifying brand for all of them. Way less work for me!
I’m being transparent with the pen names because I’m an open person in general. However, I might sign posts with a particular pen name if the post is geared toward their readers. Hopefully that won’t be too confusing. They are all me.
Anyway, I needed a name for this intity that was unique and personal.
How did I pick my business name?
First, I picked some words I thought best represent who I am as a person.
Unicorns are my spirit animal. They’re magical and I associate them with creativity. They also tend to be colorful. That’s me. I love rainbows and sparkles though most days I’m stuck wearing gray and black. Boring!
Night is because I am a night owl. Eventhough I’m done with college, I still stay up until at least 2am. Most nights, I fall asleep in my reading room watching Grey’s Anatomy.
Porium is short for emporium which is a type of store that sells a variety of goods. I write in almost every genre and books are technically products, so, whalla.
Second, I searched my starter ideas.
I tried hard to fit rainbow in the name, but when I’d search them, a bunch of LGBT groups came up. There’s a ton!
After a while, I stuffed rainbow, night, and unicorn into a generator and it added some extra words. This can be a great option if you’re looking for one of your own.
Here were a few of my favorites:
Nightporium
Rainbowsquad
Rainbow Ridge
Unicorn Planet
Nightly Unicorn
Unicorn Squad
Third, I narrowed down my options.
Tips:
- Google it to make sure nothing else comes up
- Search the trademark registry
- Search on Amazon
- See if the name is avialable as a domain and on social media
Fourth, I claimed it.
Once you pick the name, secure it quick. If there’s a chance someone might try to steal it, trademark the sucker or get an DBA, LLC, or some other form of legal registration as a business.
Summary
Unicorn Nightporium 