Pen name in another language: keep your name on the translation?

Most authors don't need a pen name for the translated book. They need one decision: exactly how their name will be spelled in the letters of the new language, and then to stick to it everywhere. A Hebrew name can be written in Latin letters in several ways, and the choice between them affects one very practical thing: whether a reader looking for you will find you.

Why this is even a question

Because Hebrew has no single agreed spelling in Latin letters. A surname like Shapira can be written Shapira, Shapiro or Schapira. Chaim can be Chaim, Haim or Hayim. Tzvi can be Tzvi, Zvi or Tsvi.

All of these are correct. None of them is a mistake. But a store, a search engine and a reader see three different names.

How to choose a spelling

Three questions, in order.

How is your name already spelled? If you have a passport, a professional profile, a website or articles in another language, your name is already written there in a particular way. Use it. People who already know you will search for what they've already seen.

How will a reader who doesn't know Hebrew pronounce it? If there's no existing spelling, write the name so that someone who doesn't know Hebrew will read it roughly right. The letter chet is the classic problem. An English speaker who sees Ch may read it as in "chair." That's not a disaster, but it's worth knowing.

Is this spelling already taken? Search for the name in stores and on a search engine. If there's a well-known author with exactly the same name, it may be worth adding a middle initial or choosing a different spelling so people don't mix you up.

When a pen name makes sense

There are a few situations where it genuinely helps.

When your name is almost impossible to read in the new language, and you'd rather readers remember it easily.

When you write in a genre you want to keep separate from your own name. For example, romance novels alongside a professional career in another field.

When you already publish under a pen name in Hebrew, in which case you should of course keep using it.

But notice the price. A new name starts from zero. It has no reviews, no previous books and no reputation. And for many readers, the very fact that the author comes from another country is part of the book's appeal. A name that sounds local hides that.

Why consistency matters more than the choice itself

Because bookstores group books by author name. If the first book came out under Shapira and the second under Shapiro, they may show up as two authors. The author page splits, the reviews don't add up, and a reader who loved the first book won't discover there's a second one.

So once you've chosen, write down the exact spelling and use it everywhere: on the cover, on the title page, on the book's store page, on your website and on social media. Including capital and lowercase letters, including spaces, including a middle initial if you have one.

And what about the characters' names

The exact same problem shows up inside the book. A character called Hana in Hebrew can become Hannah, Hana or Chana, and if the spelling changes halfway through the book, the reader may think these are two characters. We wrote about this in why the heroine's name changes halfway through the translated book.

The principle is the same: one decision, early, and stick to it. If you're working with a translator, give them a list of the names and the spellings you chose before they start.

In short

Your name is the first thing a reader sees on the book, and the thing they'll search for if they want more. Don't leave it to chance. Pick one spelling, check it isn't taken, and use it everywhere the book appears.