Stop the JK Rowling Hate!

JK Rowling is a pen name goddess. 

Stop the JK Rowling hate. 

Good grief.

"I had hoped to keep this secret a little longer," JK Rowling said, "because being Robert Galbraith has been such a liberating experience. It has been wonderful to publish without hype or expectation and pure pleasure to get feedback under a different name."

I had read, about 45 minutes after the press released its statement, that JK Rowling was indeed Robert Galbraith, author of The Cuckoo's Calling.  As an author I'd heard Galbraith's name before and so was very curious to see what the book looked like.  A quick search on amazon revealed the book's ranks.  They were still what they'd been before the press release, as amazon only updates every hour or so.

Amazingly print and ebook were both 42,000

Which is incredible ranks for a no name author to have, whose book has only been out 2 1/2 months. 

And the reviews she'd received were very acclaimed as well. 

I smiled at her audacity.  It made me happy to see her succeed as an average author.  For succeed, on her own merits in a different genre, she most definitely did!  WITHOUT the pen name reveal.  She was already there.

Fact.  Your average author only sales 200 books per title.  

It has been rumored that Ms. Rowling had already sold 1500 ebook/print copies in just 2 1/2 months, before the press release.  Those are INCREDIBLE figures for your average author. Which means, she was only going to continue to sale more and more and go up from there.  Robert Galbraith was on his way to being his own success story, writer of mystery.  The more books that "he" would've published, the more popular Robert would have become.

Now, as many of you know, I have two series that I've been working on.  The Jane Austen Diaries and The Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection.  Both of those series have seen great sales with the 12 books consistently staying above your 20K ranks.  Many keeping me in the best-sellers ranks on amazon for several months now. 

However, I do have a lesser-known book, Prince Tennyson, not under a pen name, but not a series as well.  It's in its own genre fighting for itself just as it is.  And this book has Just. Barely. passed the 200 sold copies mark back in April.  Though my others have sold several thousands each.  Why?  Because the people who read that genre have never heard of me.  It's a no-name book.  And it's a standalone. It doesn't have the following of the other two series'.

My current rank for Prince Tennyson is 334K  Even though its had rave reviews, and I personally feel it is the Best. Book. I've. Ever. Written.  There it sits.

See for yourself: Prince Tennyson

Now, for all of those people out there rudely outraged by the fact Ms. Rowling would dare write under a pen name, first and foremost don't forget that MANY other authors do so.  MANY of your favorites.  And a lot of them do it for the exact same reason she did.  Because they want to know if they can make it on their own without the hype (and yes, even hatred) provided by the public.  They want to know if they can truly call themselves a writer of that new genre.

And for all those bashing the convenient release of the news she was indeed the author, because they think her book was doing so bad, let me paste this quote one more time for you.

"I had hoped to keep this secret a little longer," JK Rowling said, "because being Robert Galbraith has been such a liberating experience. It has been wonderful to publish without hype or expectation and pure pleasure to get feedback under a different name."

Not only was Ms. Rowling succeeding, her book had only been out 2 1/2 months and had already sold 1500 copies.  She was only going to continue to rise from there.  Bravo Ms. Rowling, bravo! 

And for the hatred comments on her greed in wishing to reveal her name to get more money... Do your research. I have never known a bigger philanthropist in all my life.  Yes, you may have your issues with her, but since the majority of her profits go straight back into helping those less fortunate all over the world, I say to you, shut your mouth.  Your jealousy is unwarranted and unkind to those you're viciously (and hopefully unaware) harming by trying to stop their source from helping them. 

Instead, sit back.  Relax.  Allow the world and business of someone else to go on without you.  And perhaps read something uplifting.  If it is not one of JK Rowling's books, then as an author I know of several writers who write many more stories than you can imagine. Try one of them and enjoy the peace around you without voicing opinions about something you know little about. 

Jenni James
Best-selling author, mom of seven, and secretly awesome ninja
www.authorjennijames.com