How A Mysterious Tweet Exposed JK Rowling As The Author Of 'The Cuckoo's Calling'

Business Insider ^

[Perdogg]

By now almost everyone will have heard the news — J.K. Rowling, the author of the "Harry Potter" series of books and one of the most successful writers ever, published a low-selling but highly praised detective novel under the name Robert Galbraith earlier this year.

The story was broken last night by Richard Brooks, the arts editor of the UK's Sunday Times. It's clearly a huge scoop — but how exactly did Brooks manage to crack the literary world's best-kept secret?

[Politicalmom]

I would love to see some books about the exploits of the Marauders. :)

[Politicalmom]

I have wished I could take your class ever since you first mentioned it. :)

[Perdogg]

Does she write well? I have never read the Harry Potter books. Harry Potter seems to be, from what I understand, a lot like ‘star wars’. There seems to be a lot of same themes.

I think there are a lot of writers who are making a killing and I was thinking about getting in on the action.

[apocalypto]

I agree. This sudden “exposure” was to increase sales.

[ArtDodger]

That may be the case but when they didn’t sell, they were quickly linked to the best selling author’s name to boost sales...

[Revolting cat!]

By all means, get in on the action. Sidney Sheldon didn’t write well, Danielle Steel doesn’t either, but they have produced. (I understand that Danielle actually dictates to interns with graduate degrees in English whom she employs. William F. Buckley was said to dictate his spy stories to a recorder in the limousine. Somebody else, I forget who, just lets the interns write the text around his basic ideas. ) What’s the secret, I dunno, or I’d get in on the action m’self.

I tried reading Rowling. Really tried. I lasted a dozen pages. I couldn’t get past those seven cliches per page, cliches that not only annoyed, but by the very definition of a cliche, didn’t convey any meaning. What is she talking about, I kept asking? After the first volume I kept going to the bookstores whenever the next tome was published (no, I didn’t stand in line at midnight in freezing weather with the rest of the Hairy fans, and I didn’t make special trips, either!) grabbing a copy from the stack and counting the cliches on the first three pages. Yep, seven per page every time.

[Drew68]

I lasted a dozen pages. I couldn’t get past those seven cliches per page, cliches that not only annoyed, but by the very definition of a cliche, didn’t convey any meaning.

I think it goes like this: Wanna be poor? Write literature. Wanna be rich? Write a dystopian future with vampires and/or zombies. Or better yet, zompires. Make your heroine a 16-year old girl. Add lots of cliches, about seven per page and you'll sell a bajillion copies. Guarantee two sequels and Ridley Scott's production company will buy the motion picture rights for a cool million (and you'll be able to get in on that action two by contributing a couple of lines to the screenplay).

It's that easy!

[Little Ray]

Create an “open universe” for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, let other writers in, and get a cut of each story?

[null and void]

Does she write well?

The first book is average to so-so, her skill improves with each book. In my opinion, her peak is Order of the Phoenix, which is practically a very readable how-to book (or I guess in British English, a DYI guide) on coping with and overturning a repressive regime. It should be required reading in every high school.

I have never read the Harry Potter books.

Me neither. I've listened to them multiple times, they are great for long trips.

Harry Potter seems to be, from what I understand, a lot like ‘star wars’. There seems to be a lot of same themes.

Yes, see also The Hero's Journey as described by Joseph Campbell. The stories share a common trajectory:

• A start in ordinary life
• A removal from the ordinary
• A challenge to be solved
• A precipitating crisis
• A descent into the abyss
• A battle of good an evil
• A return from the abyss
• A summary of the lessons learned
• A return to the real world a changed person

As such they share the same basic theme with much of literature great and pedestrian ever since the Epic of Gilgamesh...

[Williams]

Why are you having this ridiculous issue when the books were Harry Potter, not Neville. Eek.

[null and void]

Because I’m an American. We favor the underdog. We like it when the Everyman succeeds where the Anointed Royalty fails.

[Ransomed]

I don’t know how twitter works, Brooks was replying on july 10 to Callegari and then the article says the account he was replying to “has no tweets since july 2.” What am I missing here?

Freegards

[Oztrich Boy]

The article said that the book sold a wopping 1,500 copies and was a “hit.” To me 1,500 copies is a failure

So you stick with reading "50 Shades of Grey" if that is your thing.

[null and void]

Other books you didn't know about by that author