8 Famous Female Authors Who Used Male Pen Names

Joanne Rowling, the author of the wildly popular Harry Potter series, chose the name J.K. Rowling for publication. Her publisher suggested she use her initials instead of her full name, fearing that the target audience, young boys, might not pick up a book written by a woman. Rowling, who doesn’t have a middle name, chose “K” for Kathleen, her grandmother’s name. Later, she used the male pseudonym Robert Galbraith for her crime fiction series, including The Cuckoo’s Calling, to create a separate identity and avoid the massive fame she gained as the author of Harry Potter.