Pseudonyms?

[anarchicq.livejournal.com]

I know that some people, like me, wish to keep a separation between their "normal" art and their "furry" art or their "Normal" art and their fanart.

But how do you sell stuff at cons or other public places? What name do you go under? Does it depend on the con?

Comments

[idess.livejournal.com]

All conventions require a legal name for the legal purposes, but you do not ever have to display your real name in any instance for a con if you don't want to :)

[hellebore.livejournal.com]

Oh. This isn't her private journal. LOL.

[anarchicq.livejournal.com]

I THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST BETWEEN US?!

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

And now in the correct comment box:

When it's a furry con, I use my "Furry" handle. When it's an anime con, I use my "general" handle. Most people seem polite enough to keep the two separate, and heck many don't seem to realize I'm both handles even if it's way easy to find out what I go by.

If you are indeed looking to keep the two separate (Which I personally like) I'd simply use a general handle, and a furry handle. If you don't care much about it, just use one single easy-to-find-name. I tend to sell art that's appropriate for a theme of the convention. Hence the two handles.

(Mods you can hide the derpy comments above if its cluttery lol)

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

Would you like me to screen the misplaced ones?

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

If you don't mind! XD thatd be lovely.

[hellebore.livejournal.com]

HAHA Screen mine up there, I thought it was her private journal.

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

lmfao okay, I gotta admit I raised an eyebrow when I saw it.

[teacup-werewolf.livejournal.com]

Hngggg, I have like five handles. Generally I go by Bard(Child) but I have two others that people know me by. It's so convoluted that I really need to consolidate on one alias.

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

What Neolucky said makes the most sense. Using whichever alias fits the venue is the way to go.

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

I tend to go by my RL name unless it's a furry con. I do have a little badge with Amara on it, just to try to draw some fuzzy folks in, but, really, RL name is the big one.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

I use Thaily as an artist name, ergo, also in real life.
Sometimes I sign with; Real "Artist Name" Name.
I don't really feel like I have anything to hide.

My friends call me Thaily, though at college they call me by my regular name, I've also registered as Thaily there. And my classmates/teachers have noticed I tend to not notice if they call me by my given name.

So no, no separation anywhere really.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

I'll also note I have had friends use 2 different names, one for their regular art and one for their adult art, and there's always a gaggle of immature children who feel the need to point it out. Preferably publicly, "HEY AREN'T YOU ALSO THAT PORNMONGER CALLED X???"

So if you're looking to keep 2 things separate with one of them being something you might be embarrassed about or you don't want people tracing back to yourself, consider just not doing that thing, because some people take great pleasure in being obnoxious twits.

[lazer-the-hyena.livejournal.com]

I will say this, at cons I am fine with people using a furry name or whatever, but when it comes to online transactions I will not generally do business with someone who won't provide a real name at least on paypal where I send them my money. I have been screwed before and it is pretty hard to try to track down, through the legal system, Furry A instead of looking for FirstName LastName. So yes, as a security measure for myself I require a full name at the time money is exchanged.

I am all for the anonymity of the internet and keeping your pron separate from the world at large but I am also out to look out for my best interests as well, and you can assume that anyone commissioning you for pron is not likely to run go tell your employers or something. Which is not to say that you should post it all over your account, but that some people may ask and it may cost you business not to include this information.

[stormslegacy.livejournal.com]

I use my real name for more professional type of jobs and Stormslegacy at conventions. I have the names linked, and do business as Stormslegacy, but how I sign my emails and introduce myself to customers depends.

[jadinerhine.livejournal.com]

I tend to use my pro name for everything and anything related to my art and comics. The times I use my real name is for legal stuff like contracts and such -- in which case I'll add my pro name next to it too, as to avoid confusion.

I've never gone to a furry con, but I assume I'd use my pro name as well instead of making a new alias. I am genuinely interested though, in why some people use two aliases to differentiate between their furry base and their general base (with porn, I get it; with furry art, not so much >_>;; )

[otherscape.livejournal.com]

It might be because furries don't have the best of reputations, even if it is unwarranted for the vast majority of them, but that's still a good question. I'm curious if there's ever been an impact on someones professional career because they were a known furry.

[ocelotish]

My thoughts on this is why not have separate screen names for separate demographics? Worse case scenario, someone figures it out and blabs. As long as you're not being two-faced, and are just doing it as a business move, it shouldn't be a problem. It all depends on how you handle it.

If nothing else, almost everyone has an online commission identity, but would go by their real name in the professional world.

The best way to handle it is to not treat it as a big deal. If someone finds out, that's fine, you're just separating your markets. People will be dramatic about drama, if you treat it as normal and boring, so will your followers.