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Imagine you are walking down the street and someone who has read your writing is fanatically against what you stand for approaches you. What do you do? Imagine that what you have written is highly controversial and your children become targets of insults and character attacks?

I am Pagan. My children are Pagan. I write fantasy fiction. I write articles for a physic network. I have written articles for local papers condemning religious persecution of Pagans; as well as persecution of Islamic people. As well as a number of other controversial topics regarding legislation and court cases.

I also live in a community with four churches in a five mile radius. I live in a community that has been described as "the bible belt" and "confederate nation". Rather than have the consequences of my real name being used in the public domain, I choose to use a pen name. There are a number of person's in the community than know me only as Ashira Goddard. I speak on a regular basis on a variety of topics in the community by invitation. I do not hide who I am or what I believe in. I do however, protect my anonymity in certain venues.

In using a pen name it affords me the opportunity to speak out about issues that need to be spoken on without having repercussions falling upon my children. Every commercial client that I have knows both my pen name and my real name. Most clients appreciate that a pen name is the same as a professional business name. My business cards have both my pen name and my real name.

My personal experience has been that it does not truly matter what name you use with a commercial client as long as you brand yourself as a professional. It is also my experience that in writing fiction (which I do in a different location than my office)it has allowed me to take on a different persona when I do marketing of my fantasy writings.

What ever your reasoning is to use a pen name or not to use a pen name, the same excitement will come when you see either name in print. I recently sold an article to a local newspaper, I used my pen name for this article. When I picked up the paper as I do every day, I saw in black ink on the front page my byline. I cashed the check under my real name. The excitement was the same.

Learn more about this author, Reverend Ashira Goddard.
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