Why did JK Rowing change her name after she wrote Harry Potter?

Answer 1

When publishing the first Harry Potter book, her publisher thought boys may not wish to read a book by a woman so it was suggested that she take a middle name and only have her initials and surname. Joanne Rowling was her birth name and she took her grandmothers name for a middle name making her Joanne Kathleen Rowling.

Answer 2

J.K. Rowling, born Joanne Rowling, adopted the pen name "J.K. Rowling" at the suggestion of her publisher because they believed that the target audience of young boys might not be interested in a book written by a female author. The "K" stands for Kathleen, which is the first name of her paternal grandmother.

Answer 3

When publishing Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stonethe publisher believed young boys wouldn't want to read a book written by a woman. Therefore to make the book more marketable they asked J.K. Rowling to use her initials. She didn't have a middle name so took on her grandmothers and became Joanne Kathleen Rowling.

Answer 4

She didn't. She called herself "J.K" Because she was afraid that boys would not want to read a book written by a woman