This isn’t something I’m proud of, but I wouldn’t be able to write at all otherwise. I can only deal with criticism if it’s anonymous.

While my writing did win me a certain amount of respect, it also led to needlessly-vicious detractors, who either didn’t agree with one or more of my opinions or (more commonly, it seemed) were jealous of my growing credibility. (i.e. people in the same field, whose expertise was not requested for publication.)

So, while one might say my success was a win for me, it led to some surprising lessons about human nature, vindictiveness, and how right I’ve always been to avoid seeking notoriety.

Without detailing every evil thing that’s happened to me in this regard, let’s just say it culminated with one of these Internet freaks knocking on my door, one day. (Regrettably, I happened to be the one to answer the door. Quickly realizing something was amiss, I disavowed all knowledge of the person being sought. I was relieved when my husband walked by, a few feet behind me, giving the caller the once-over. My husband is quite imposing, being just shy of seven feet tall and weighing over 300 pounds.)

Over the course of several years, I saw GROWING evidence of strangers trying to find out where I lived, and other private information. I saw how supposedly trusted “publishers” included personally-identifying/private information with my writing, at times.

My goal, if I’m to continue making a career of writing, is to publish all new works under a pseudonym so private, only the tax man coud make a connection.

Since I’ll be writing in a new genre, I’ll also be seeking a new publisher. I hope to keep my “real” identity completely secret. If I have to incorporate or even “work for” my husband (I never changed my last name…so there’s no crossover between him and my real name), then I’ll do it. I guess my first stop is a local bank (not mine, of course) to see what they say about DBA, signing over cheques, or any other solution for getting paid via a nom de plume.

Happily, I’ve slowly “disappeared” (like Sandra Bullock’s character in ‘The Net’). We switched to VOIP several years ago, so our “home” number is not listed. (We chose an area code different from where we live, anyway.) My cellular phone is listed in my husband’s name, as are all utilities. We own several properties, and I’ve moved a lot, as well. …Meaning, I coud be anywhere, at any given time. Other than my past writing, I barely exist online. I’ve never come across an Internet directory with my information.

In fact, it was my husband who first planted the seed of a pseudonym. His foreign last name is all but unpronounceable to native English speakers. (That’s partly why I didn’t change my name, after marriage.) As a result, he’s long used a fake last name, for unimportant things like dry cleaning or dinner reservations. I became Mrs. Fakename, and marveled at the possibilities.

I suppose it goes without saying that my intent is purely to protect myself, rather than using a false name for the purposes of crime or malevolent deception.

I like to write, and like to get paid for my work. I have, and have always had, ZERO desire to be known, much less famous. I can’t think of anything more repugnant.

You register your pen name as a DBA thru the appropriate state agency. You can then open a business checking account with your bank and cash checks made out to it. Your DBA is public knowledge and can be searched for in the state database, so it will not work for absolute anonymity, but will allow you to exchange money and keep cash flow separate for personal book keeping.

@ J.B You may want to look up Nora Roberts, you may find some information on how to deal with the “two name publishing”.