Why My Medium Moniker Is the Best Choice For My Content

It matters more than you realize

Do you want to hear a funny story?

Upon seeing my name in your daily feed, I’m sure it elicits a range of reactions — some positive along with a few expected eye rolls. Or curiosity.

All good because I believe the least desirable response would be indifference upon encountering a (familiar) writer’s name.

You know, at one point my articles on Medium were being heavily distributed. This led one writer to comment that each time she logged into her account and saw my name at the top of her feed, she was put off by it.

I can’t help but wonder if her reaction would be the same if it were her name instead of mine.

Nah, I highly doubt it.

I had another reader, a guy this time, who said he never checked the titles of my posts but clicked on them anyway whenever my profile image popped up in his feed.

In that way, my name and profile image have been beneficial in framing and naming my little corner in Mediumland.

I wish I could say I came up with this name and profile picture after deliberate contemplation.

Unfortunately no. Just like my writing, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.

The name was initially created as an email account for a dating app — yes, I hate to say creative endeavors were the last thing on my mind at that time and my profile pic was taken during the pandemic before a dinner date.

Do you notice a recurring theme here? (Wink, wink)

Nevertheless, my intention in using this pen name was to express an unfiltered version of how I really feel about things, a freedom I cannot exercise in real life without alienating everyone close to me.

Its purpose is to act as a buffer between my personal identity and online writing. It has worked favorably for me as long as I keep things strictly like that, however, sometimes the lines get blurred.

The one time I shared my pen name, my date ghosted me after reading my blogs. I guess he wanted nothing to do with a blogger who wrote about her dates and how she felt about them.

On the other hand, my real-life partner was drawn to me through my blogs and yet sometimes, I worry that my tendency to overshare may one day become the bane of our relationship.

Becoming a relationship blogger was not part of the plan, at least not initially — it just turned out that way after my stories regarding my dates and love interests went viral.

In that way, one could say my readers determined my niche.

3 advantages of my Medium Moniker

The content I write is not linked to my real name.

If I had a penny for the number of times writers have told me they wish they had used a pen name instead of their real name on Medium.

Using your real name can be limiting, particularly when sharing personal stories. Once published, they become accessible to everyone who bothers looking you up — friends, family, colleagues, and even potential employers, not to mention trolls.

While it may work for some, I believe opting for anonymity is a wise decision for avoiding unnecessary drama and safeguarding mental health.

Helps with branding

Do you think a writer’s name plays a role in evoking a special vibe for connecting with their target audience?

I think so.

Daily, I come across usernames that boggle the mind. This is more noticeable among new writers who seem to pull have pulled random names out of the air.

The sad thing is their writing may be good but there is no correlation between the name and the content. I wonder how many potential readers they lost just because their Medium profile name wasn’t taken too seriously?

Since I am neither an expert nor trying to sell something, I would say my pen name suits the niche(s) I write in.

Freedom to experiment

I come from a conservative culture where discussions about dating, intimacy, and mental health are still considered taboo. Despite the progress in other areas, these topics continue to carry a stigma and are not openly addressed.

Using a pseudonym allows me the flexibility to explore these topics and more, that might have otherwise been difficult.

🎈I am curious, what are your thoughts regarding your profile name on Medium? Do you wish you had started writing with a pen name or are you happy using your real name?

This was inspired by Toni The Talker’s post “Make a Moniker.”