If you’re a self-published author, chances are you’ll offer your books for sale on Amazon.com. Whether or not you currently have an account, there are a few things to know about how to navigate Amazon’s Kindle platform more effectively as a published author, especially if you choose to use one or more pseudonyms.

However, before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let’s go over why and when you’d want to use a pseudonym, how using one affects your publishing accounts, how to approach social media, and other important considerations for using a pseudonym.

Why and when to use a pseudonym?

A “pseudonym” or pseudonym is an assumed name that many writers choose to use instead of their real name. But why would anyone, especially you, want to do that?

There are a range of reasons that many authors give for why they use a pen name at some point in their career. However, some of the most common are:

  • To safeguard your true identity.

  • Not be restricted by using your real name.

  • Distinguish between the different types of books they write.

These are all great reasons to decide on a pseudonym and then use it to set up your author account.

How does using a pseudonym affect your editorial accounts?

Once you make the decision to use a pseudonym instead of your real name, there are some restrictions that you will have to deal with as a publisher on the Amazon platform.

  • You may not use your pseudonym to create verified reviews.

  • You may not comment or use the discussion forums under the pseudonym.

  • You are restricted to using a single name in Amazon discussion groups.

This is because Amazon has strict rules that only allow accounts with verified payment methods to complete certain actions. This leaves you very limited in certain ways if you use one or more pseudonyms.

How should you deal with social media when using a pseudonym?

It’s one thing to use your pen name to set up an author account and on your book cover, but how do you use it for other areas of book publishing and promotion, like social media?

  • Facebook – You can only set up a main Facebook page with your real name. However, you can set up individual pages to promote your books using each of your pen names.
  • Twitter – It’s easy to set up multiple Twitter accounts for each of your pseudonyms so you can keep your book promotions separate.
  • good reads – This platform only allows one main profile for each author, so if you want to promote using different pseudonyms, you will need to set up multiple individual accounts with different emails.

How to set up your author page with a pseudonym

Here are the steps you need to follow to set up your Amazon author page with a pseudonym.

To set up your author page, you must already have a primary Amazon account and at least one book already listed and available to buy on Amazon.com.

If you don’t already have a primary Amazon account, select the login option that says “No, I’m a new customer” and follow the instructions to set up a new account.

If you don’t already have a book listed on Amazon, use the Kindle Direct Publishing page to upload your first book.

Once you’ve created your Amazon account and uploaded your book, follow the steps below to set up your account under your pseudonym.

  1. Copy and paste the following link into your browser: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/

  2. Click “Join Now”.

  3. Enter your Amazon login email address and password and press enter.

  4. Read the Terms and Conditions in Author Central and click “Accept” to accept and continue.

  5. Once your author page opens, go to the “Books” tab and click the “Add More Books” button.

  6. Do a search for the name of the book you wrote using your pen name and add the selection. If you can’t find the book by title, try searching by ISBN number.

  7. A pop-up box will appear stating “Not listed as author…”. An option at the bottom of the popup box will state “If you type under a different name, please let us know.” Click on that link.

  8. An email confirmation will be sent to your associated Amazon account. Find the email and click the confirmation link to verify that you are the author of the book and that it is your pen name.

  9. Once your identity is verified, that pseudonym will now be associated with your Author Central account.

  10. Repeat steps six through nine for up to three (3) pseudonyms on a single account.

Switch Between Pseudonyms in Your Amazon Author Account

If you have more than one pseudonym associated with your Amazon Author account, here’s how to switch between each one.

  1. Go to your author account page and click the dropdown next to your name at the top of the page.

  2. Select the nickname you want to use from the list.

It’s as simple as that! You can switch back and forth at any time depending on how and when you want to use a particular pseudonym.

What do you do if you have more than three (3) pseudonyms?

If you’re writing a storm and need more than 3 pseudonyms, there’s an easy way to get around the 3-name limitation on your Amazon author account.

You’ll need to open a second Amazon Author account with a different email address and follow the steps above to add up to three additional pseudonyms to be associated with that account.

If necessary, you can repeat this process as many times as you like to set up more pseudonyms.

Please note that while you can set up multiple author accounts and associated pseudonyms, you can only have one Kindle Direct Publishing account per person, no matter how many pseudonyms you choose to have.

Note: Always remember to log out of your secondary, tertiary, etc. Please create accounts and return to your main account before signing in to your Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing account so that you can see all the books listed.

Important Considerations When Using Pseudonyms on Amazon

If you plan to write and self-publish books internationally (ie, outside of the main Amazon.com store), you’ll need to set up accounts on each international Amazon site where you want your books to be available.

While it sounds intimidating, the process is quite simple.

  1. Go to your browser and enter the URL associated with Amazon Author Central for the country you are targeting. For example, http://authorcentral.amazon.co.uk (UK)

  2. When the page opens, create your author profile and add your books using the same steps you would on the main Amazon.com site.

Depending on the types of books you plan to write, the use of pen names can be an important part of your branding and book creation strategy. Follow these simple steps to set up your Amazon author pages and pseudonyms, and you’ll have all the flexibility and anonymity you need to self-publish with confidence.