name recognition claims another victim

[Windfury]

Did I say it was? Reread my post. I'm annoyed that she keeps trying to hide the fact she's a woman. Because believe it or not there are very good female authors out there, and the world isn't as sexist as it used to be. If she wants to ghost write, she should at least not pretend to be something she's not.

Why are you so concerned about gender?

Women authors are pigeonholed and generally not taken as seriously as writers, they're less likely to be nominated for awards and prizes and less likely to win when they are. There is still a a bias and I can absolutely understand why a female author would want to hide her gender.

[Noomz]

I'm with you. Fanbases are stupid.

Also I dislike the lies she keeps using to cover up the fact she's (shock!) a woman. I had no interest in Harry Potter, but everyone was shocked when they found out JK Rowling was a woman - and apperently that was the plan all along. That's fine, whatever. But going out of your way to claim you're an ex-serviceman screams 'dishonest'.

The fact she can churn anything out and get a million sales makes me want to quit writing forever.

I'm sure you're a much better writer... >_>

[GKLeatherCraft]

I'm with you. Fanbases are stupid.

The fact she can churn anything out and get a million sales makes me want to quit writing forever.

Come on, don't be that jealous person, she hasn't "churned" anything out, she is a very good writer or she wouldn't be where she is today, She also doesn't keep trying to hide the fact she's a woman, the first time it was the publishers that pushed the idea as they thought a wizard story written by a woman wouldn't be popular, and the last book she just chose that name to hide herself, and what better what than the opposite sex, so before you try and slate someone, at least know some facts.

[s_bushido]

Sure, if you think the crap that JK Rowling spews out is good.

*sigh* I hate this mentality so much. Would you be calling it "crap" if her work didn't also happen to be wildly popular?

[obdigore]

*sigh* I hate this mentality so much. Would you be calling it "crap" if her work didn't also happen to be wildly popular?

Yes? People touting YA books as the pinnacle of the fantasy genre should be taken out back and beaten with a sack full of hardcovers.

[s_bushido]

Yes? People touting YA books as the pinnacle of the fantasy genre should be taken out back and beaten with a sack full of hardcovers.

Who said that? Should enjoying the Harry Potter books prevent me from enjoying the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant just because the target audience is different?

I guess it should go without saying, but you have read her books before condemning them, right?

[obdigore]

Who said that? Should enjoying the Harry Potter books prevent me from enjoying the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant just because the target audience is different?

I guess it should go without saying, but you have read her books before condemning them, right?

I read the first three, yes. I could say the same about Thomas Covenant, I certainly wasn't impressed with his work, and I read all 10. I would suggest that Zelaney's Amber is a much better series from the same time, and works since has far outstripped the Chronicles.

[Deleted]

People are all sheep, the sophisticated readers alike.

[Deleted]

Recap: a book is published. It gets strong, solid favorable reviews. Nobody buys it.

Well, who reads reviews? Seriously. The people who write that stuff generally seem to be completely in love with themselves and review books in a way to fit their own image as intellectual, alternative and arty rather than to give the readers information about the book so they can figure out whether they'd like it or not. I like to read books, but rarely the ones that get good reviews. I'm not really into flowery language and obnoxious symbolism with "subtle" criticism of some aspect of today's society.

And people wonder why nobody reads reviews anymore.

FTFY.

[Stir]

From the OP's source link:

In top-secret fashion, she published "The Cuckoo's Calling" under the name Robert Galbraith. Her publisher, Mulholland Books -- an imprint of Little, Brown and Company -- described the author as a former member of the Special Investigative Branch of the Royal Military Police.
"He left the military in 2003 and has been working since then in the civilian security industry," the publisher's website said. "The idea for (protagonist) Cormoran Strike grew directly out of his own experiences and those of his military friends who returned to the civilian world. 'Robert Galbraith' is a pseudonym."

Did nobody else read this?

No matter how great and praising the reviews are, if I were to read this, I'd just go: 'Crap, it's another one of those wanna-be-Dan-Brown-Ludlums, surfing along on the hype of 'reality' crime and espionage novels... Absolutely not worth my time or money; it's probably uninteresting shit from a pretentious blaggard who needs to brag with credentials in order to sell this garbage.'
Then it is revealed it is actually Rowling who wrote it, and I'm going: 'Hmm; established urban fantasy author who previously specialized in children's literature attempting something outside her comfort zone again, and expanding her repertoire. Might be worth a look.'

It's not surprising at all that the book wouldn't sell under the pseudonym, when presented like that.

[Deleted]

There are books you read for the story and others you read for the quality of the writing.
Then, there are great authors that can do both at the same time.

For example, The Lord of the Ring is an astonishing story, an unbelievable world & background ,etc. But it is nothing like a masterpiece of literature...

I love "Le Rouge et le Noir" of Stendhal (French here, sorry^^) : the story didn't impressed me (even it was well-thought) as it is centered around love stories for quite a part. But then there is the writing of Stendhal which is, for me, one of the very best.

Even amongst really good and well-known authors, all are not for everyone.
My preferred authors, I.Asimov, is really good in my opinion an i like his writing which is simple but well thought and understandable way of writing => it is not sophisticated, but he can make you understand such obscure things very easily. I love all the ideas he put in his books too by the way. But when I read R. Bradbury (which i particularly like, too), it is a whole other way of writing, completely different.

Now, on JK Rowling : for me it is more about the story than the writing, at least for Harry Potter, but it was a book for children after all... The fact that she can get good reviews for a book without her name and outside of Harry potter's world is for me a proof that she is a good author.

[Theodon]

I don't understand why people are getting on their high horses about this. If an author you like released a book, you buy it because you are confident you will enjoy it. It seems normal to me that the book sales would sky-rocket considering just how popular JK Rowling is worldwide. I try new authors when the I exhaust the material available from authors and story types I know I'll enjoy, but I'll pick someone I know over one I don't if I want something new to read.