Zig vs Zag
In a time when people were becoming more health-conscious, a soda was born that went against the trend (they Zigged while all others were Zagging). Jolt Cola is a carbonated soft drink produced by The Jolt Company, Inc. The cola drink was created in 1985 by C. J. Rapp as a highly caffeinated beverage. It was targeted towards students and young professionals, stressing its use as a stimulant in a similar manner as energy drinks. Eventually, energy drinks took over this category.
Social Media Counter-wave
Many are clamoring to become rich and famous on YouTube and other social media sites. But the number of individuals who just want the wealth (without the fame) may shock you. Many sites have popped up recently that cater to anonymous authors.
Yes, you can publish anonymously, and many authors prefer to publish some or all of their books this way. You can even publish on Amazon KDP this way. Read more here.
Anonymous Means Using a Pen Name
To be clear we are not suggesting that you would create a book or digital product using “Anonymous” as the author. Instead, you would simply use a pen name to protect your identity.
A pen name, also called a nom de plume or a literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name.
Where did it start?
In the 1780s, The Federalist Papers were written under the pseudonym “Publius” by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. The three men chose the name “Publius” because it recalled the founder of the Roman Republic and using it implied a positive intention.
Women Author Using Male Pen Names
Born in Warwickshire, England in 1819, Mary Ann Evans employed the male pen name George Eliot when she published her 1859 debut novel Adam Bede to avoid female stereotyping.
Among the most famous pseudonymous authors in history are:
- Brontë sisters who called themselves Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell;
- Louisa May Alcott who used the ambiguous A.M. Barnard;
- George Eliot, who is barely known by her real name Mary Anne Evans
- Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, used the pen name Lewis Carroll.
Back in the nineteenth century (and earlier) women had to put a man’s name on their work to make it sell. Today the number of women authors writing under male pen names is too many to count. The same is true of men writing under female pen names!
Other Ways to Make Money Anonymously Include:
Affiliate marketing. Which is one of the reasons it’s so popular.
Advertisements. Having display ads on your site can be very lucrative.
Blogging. Perhaps the most popular way folks earn income online anonymously (without even needing a pen name).
Selling products. If you have a good (digital) product it doesn’t matter who you are!
Branding Flexibility
One of the big advantages of publishing anonymously is that you can have several brands simultaneously. You might have a brand that appeals to women and sports or an outdoor brand for men.
This approach gives you more income-earning options. It also allows you to build a portfolio of income-producing digital products in privacy.