Translated directly from French, “nom de plume” means “pen name,” which is the chosen name an author might publish under, instead of their real name. Sometimes an author might want to maintain anonymity — perhaps the writing is of a sensitive nature — and other times the writer’s identity is known, but the nom de plume is used to separate writing personas. In the past, many women authors submitted work under a man’s nom de plume in order to get their work published. Before “Little Women,” Louisa May Alcott published sensational stories under the nom de plume A.M. Barnard, and George Eliot was actually Mary Ann Evans. In more modern times, Stephen King has written under the nom de plume Richard Bachman, former Georgia state Representative Stacey Abrams writes thrillers under her name and romances under the name Selena Montgomery, and the acclaimed novelist Elena Ferrante has kept her identity a secret.