Do any of you know any female authors who wrote their books under a male name?

Because they thought they had to in order to get their books published?





What are some that you can think of? And how popular were their books?

Do any of you know any female authors who wrote their books under a male name?
I know that J.K. Rowling published her books without her first name because she didn't want people to discriminate based on her gender. You know how popular the Harry Potter books are!
Reply:J. K. Rowling and S.E. Hinton "hid" their names.
Reply:"George Eliot" is the most famous.
Reply:Charlotte Bronte wrote under the male name of Curer Bell. She ended up writing Jane Eyre using her real name anyway, so she had success as a female.
Reply:Like others have said, J.K. Rowling. Though there's something about that I want to make clear. Maybe I heard a different version of the story than others, though I could be wrong. Anyway, I always heard that it was the publishing company that made that decision not J.K. herself...and it wasn't because they thought it would ward off male readers, it's because they KNEW it would ward off male readers. (It's a real shame that little boys are already so sexist--isn't it odd that little girls aren't?).





I know another contemporary author that had to do this. K.A. Applegate, author of the popular Animorphs series (well...popular 10 years ago, anyway). I didn't find out she was female until a good ways in to the series. I (as well as most of her other readers, I guess) assumed she was male. I guess that's the way it works...use initials to make young boys think the author is male, and then when they finally find out she's female, they're already interested in the series so they don't care anymore.
Reply:Why stop at authors? I know of a female mathematician who once had to submit an paper on formulas under a male name otherwise the lecturer refused to mark it. The lecturer was so impressed with the paper he had to meet the author, and doubly suprised when he was a she.





I'll find the name for you.
Reply:S.E. Hinton only wanted to publish her initials due to the fact she's a woman.
Reply:Gert Brantenberg, a genetic woman who wrote her book "Egalia麓s Daughters" under this male name !


(The book describes a world where women are ruling the society and men are submitting, but sometimes rebelling)
Reply:the Brontes published their novesl under male names at first, as did Geroge eliot. I do not really know why they did this, asplenty of women before their time had published novels under their own names.





J.K. Rowling was advised to use her initials rather than her own name because apparently boys sometimes don't want to read books by women authors because they think they will be girly. however, as someone pointed out, her books quickly became so popular that she could have called herself Fifi Trixibelle and it wouldn't have made any difference to her sales.
Reply:"Out of Africa" was written in 1937 by Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke, who used the pseudonym Isak Dinesen.





Ellis Peters, author of the popular Brother Cadfael novels, is the pseudonym of Edith Pargeter.





James Tiptree, Jr. was a prolific author of classic science fiction. It was a pseudonym used by Alice Bradley Sheldon.





Alice Mary Norton, another prolific author of classic science fiction and fantasy, used the pseudonym Andre Norton.
Reply:Henry Handel Richardson.
Reply:To start with - because she is the most prolific author today Nora Roberts- She had a male detective character and her publisher said a female author would never sell a male character. Her pseudonym = J.D. Robb.





She is reissuing these books now.
Reply:All of the Bronte's (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne).





George Eliot (Marian Evans).





George Sand





Louisa May Alcott
Reply:J.K. Rowling, actually. Because she thought her female first name (Joanne) would ward off potential male readers. She actually doesn't have a middle name, she borrowed the K, from Kathleen, from her paternal grandmother. The name Kathleen has never been part of her real name.





Actually I knew she was female author and read it anyway, though, I thought it was rather obvious, given the writing. I can usually discern male and female authors with ease.





A more historical one would be The Modern Prometheus, or as most know it today, Frankenstein. It was published anonymously by Mary Shelley, who is now one of the most famous female authors. She also used a few male names to publish some of her works, but none that I can really remember.





As for Rowling, it's more of a marketing thing really. Young boys generally are not socially encouraged to read books, much less books written by women, so it was a wise move for business.
Reply:The "Brother Cadfael" Murder Mystery series of books (about 22 of them) by " Ellis Peters" [Edith Pargeter]. There have been several of her works turned into either movies or television series(starring Derick Jacoby). I strongly advise you to rad her stores.
Reply:All of the Bronte sisters did. Charlotte became "Currer Bell," Emily became "Ellis Bell," and Anne became "Acton Bell." Also, George Sand is just a male pseudonym for a female French writer.
Reply:I can't add any more names to the list, although I'm sure there are many, but I can tell you that when I worked in a bookstore (in the 2000s), I encountered a few male customers who refused to read any novels written by women. Even when I pointed out that some "male" authors are actually pseudonyms for women, I could not change these guys' opinions, or get them to try reading a female author. Sexism is still out there!