Maiden Names

I'm back from a brief vacation/visit to relatives. I normally don't post on Friday because of the comment approval delays, but here we go.

Dear Rejector,

I'm getting married in a month, but I plan to keep my maiden name as my pen name. When querying (once married), would you advise querying with my legal -- married -- name or with my maiden name? Or with First Maiden Married?

Am I over-thinking this?

Thank you

Yes, you are over-thinking this. The name you use in your query should be the name you want to appear on the check the agency sends you when the book sells - i.e. your legal name. In a case where you have a DBA or multiple legal names, put whichever one you want. I didn't come up with my pen name until the book was about to go from the editor at the publishing house to the copy-editor.

(A DBA is a "Doing Business As" form that allows people to write checks to you in a name different from your own)