No, you don't need a pen name to narrate spicy romance, but it can help. Use one if your job or your family could be hurt by the connection. If you're only a little embarrassed, use your own name. It helps you build a real connection with listeners and authors. To find romance books to narrate, start on Academy Voices, our alternative to ACX.
Practice romance and other fiction reads on real scripts from our free audiobook script library.
Get the free scriptsGabby Nistico and I talked about this on our Monday live, the day after our spicy romance workshop. It's the question we get most from narrators who are thinking about the genre.
- You don't need a pen name, but it can be really helpful.
- Ask yourself why you want one. Embarrassment alone usually isn't a good enough reason.
- A real risk to your household or your job is a good reason.
- A pen name means a second set of websites and social accounts if you want to promote it fully.
- At some point people want to see the person behind the name, so a pen name isn't a perfect hiding place.
- Laughing or blushing during a scene is normal, even for professionals. You just don't keep that take.
- Romance is selling well, and a lot of it is coming to Academy Voices, our alternative to ACX.
When is a pen name worth it?
When there's a real downside to people knowing.
Gabby put it plainly. Ask yourself why you want one. Are you embarrassed? Do you just not want people to know? Or could it actually cause trouble for you? Maybe someone in your household works in a school district, and that kind of association wouldn't be great for them. That's a good reason.
“Only use the pen name if it really, really is essential, because you just don't want to have a negative result.”
Gabby Nistico, VO Journey Academy Live, 26 Oct 2026
If it's only a little embarrassment, try to get past it. Your own name helps you build a deeper connection with your listeners and the romance community. It helps with the authors you work with too, and all of that matters.
What does a pen name cost you?
More work than most people expect.
There are a lot of upsides to a pen name. The downside I see is that you have to create a whole other person. If you want to promote that name fully, it comes with its own website, its own social media accounts, all of it. You don't have to do any of that, but if you're going all in, it's a lot.
| Question | Your own name | A pen name |
|---|---|---|
| Who it suits | Narrators who are only a little shy about the genre | Narrators whose job or family could be hurt by the connection |
| Connection with listeners and authors | Easier, because it's really you | Harder to build |
| Extra work | None | A second website and social accounts if you promote it fully |
| Privacy | None | Some, but a photo can still give you away |
Can a pen name keep you completely private?
Not forever.
Gabby made a good point here. It's almost 2027, and facial recognition is everywhere. At some point you'll need to show there's a person behind the brand. Are you going to use somebody else's face? An avatar? It isn't that hard for someone to find a photograph and figure out your other identity. So go in knowing a pen name gives you some privacy, not total privacy.
We went through how to set all of this up at the workshop.
Missed it? The full workshop goes deeper on pen names, duet narration and performing a scene without it getting weird.
Watch the replay, $27Why narrate spicy romance at all?
Because it's one of the biggest sellers in audiobooks.
Romance is probably number one when it comes to sales, and it's very lucrative, especially the spicy side of it. There are levels of spiciness too, which we went through at the workshop.
Romance readers go through books at an unbelievable rate, and they always want more. It isn't unusual for a romance author to have 20, 30 or 40 books in a series, and to be writing more than one series at once. That's a lot of books that need a narrator.
We're seeing it at Academy Voices too. More authors have joined and posted their work this month than at any time since Academy Voices started, and a lot of what's coming in is spicy. We're also starting new serial stories, told in short episodes.
Is it normal to laugh while recording a spicy scene?
Yes, completely normal.
Gabby admitted she can't always get through a scene without giggling or turning red. Professionals do it. Some of the things you read out loud, nobody says on a normal day. Of course you don't keep that take. But it's no reason to think you can't do the genre.
Gabby even sends some of her clients a gag reel of her outtakes, when she knows they have a sense of humor.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a pen name to narrate spicy romance?
No. It can be helpful, and it makes sense if your job or family could be hurt by the connection. If you're only a little embarrassed, your own name helps you connect with listeners and authors.
What's the downside of a pen name?
You're creating a whole other person. If you want to promote that name fully, it needs its own website and social accounts.
Will a pen name keep me anonymous?
Only partly. At some point people want to see the person behind the name, and a photo can still give you away.
Is spicy romance a good genre for newer narrators?
It's one of the busiest. Romance sells well, and readers keep asking for more. Start on Academy Voices, our alternative to ACX, where a lot of it is coming in.
What if I laugh during a scene?
That's normal, even for professionals. Take a breath and do another take.
What to do next
Watch the full conversation with Gabby. If you want the whole workshop, the replay goes much deeper, including dual versus duet narration.
Practice your reads with a coach
We have live classes every week where you read, a coach gives you a note, and you read it again. Every plan includes Academy Voices.
See the plansGo out there and audition.
Anthony
Anthony Pica, founder of VO Journey Academy