4 ms·

I agree, but I'm suggesting more than a contract; I'm also suggesting identity validation. Just the act of requiring legal proof of identity might weed out most

• falcolas 4y ago
  Perhaps most authors wouldn't care, but identity validation would gut the concept of the pen name. And as beneficial as pen names are (allowing early women authors to publish books at all, providing an author an out if their name becomes too associated with one genre, protecting authors from fanatics), eliminating them in an attempt to prove whether a tool was used in a books creation is less than ideal. And worse, I have my doubts that it would even work. See: counterfeiters on Amazon.
  • em-bee 4y ago
    identity validation would gut the concept of the pen name as far as i understand clarkesworld submission rules, you may submit and be published under a pen name, but have to reveal your real identity to the magazine, which they will keep to themselves
  • jamesgill 4y ago
    That’s not how pen names work in publishing. Source: I’ve published books both under pen name and legal name.