Authors who use just initials in their name.

[Andrew H.]

While I think this kind of subconscious (I hope) sexism is declining, it's worth keeping in mind that it hasn't been that long since explicit sexism was condoned: when Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg graduated first in her class at Columbia, Felix Frankfurter turned her down for a job as a clerk, stating that he didn't want to hire her because she was a woman. It wasn't until the mid 60's that it was illegal to have a salary schedule for men and a (lower) salary schedule for women, and into the 70's courts were still overturning various state laws that permitted discrimination against women.

While that is mostly before my time, it's easy to see why female writers like Andre Norton (who wrote in the 60's) and others might feel safer with a male or neutral pseudonym.

And of course who can forget the classic plot of "Remington Steele?"

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by oGorgeous

Perhaps I'm reading the wrong sorts of books; by the overwhelming majority, authors in my personal collection who use their initials are mostly men. In fact, the only female who uses her initials is J.K. Rowling. But then - I couldn't care less about the gender of the author, and I only peeked because of this conversation. For the record, however, I am a female with a staggering number of male authors in my collections and comparatively few female authors. A number of male authors who've used their initials in their nom de plumes:

H.G. Wells, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.D. Salinger, R.A. Salvatore, H. Rider Haggard, F. Scott Fitzgerald, F. Marion Crawford, R.M. Ballantyne.

"In fact, the only female who uses her initials is J.K. Rowling."
You have certainly found a new definition for the word fact. Care to share it with us and, oh, P.D. James and L.J. Sellers and J.D. Robb and A.K. Alexander and need I go on all seem to be women.

Men and women both use initials. In my life, and I'm old, I've known a lot of men who went by their initials rather than a first name. I've known one woman who did that and she might be one of the many women who change their name as they get older. I've known Rain, Serenity, Feather, Athena Peanut, and a Mary Jane who became Maris. I also know a K.T. I've wondered if she used to be a Katy but haven't cared enough to ask.

If the authors name uses just initials I generally assume it's a woman and I probably shouldn't. I should check.

[Fluribus]

Originally Posted by patrickt

"In fact, the only female who uses her initials is J.K. Rowling."

Disconnecting the second sentence from the first sentence might have been an error.

"...authors in my personal collection who use their initials are mostly men. In fact, the only female who uses her initials is J.K. Rowling."

Originally Posted by patrickt

"In fact, the only female who uses her initials is J.K. Rowling."
You have certainly found a new definition for the word fact. Care to share it with us and, oh, P.D. James and L.J. Sellers and J.D. Robb and A.K. Alexander and need I go on all seem to be women.

As Flubrius correctly noted, I was referring to my personal library in my post.

[Catlady]

Just because of this thread, I checked a book I read recently by an author using initials (Before I Go to Sleep, by S. J. Watson). I assumed Watson is a woman, because the narrator is a woman, and I was quite startled to find out the author is actually a man.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I. R. Pissed

I. P. Daily

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by patrickt

J.D. Robb

J. D. Robb is in reality Nora Roberts.

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I. R. Pissed

This thread now officially reminds me of I.P. Freely, famous author of _The Yellow River_ and other inanities of my youth.

[4691mls]

A while back I read a book where the author had a female name and the main character was female, but she didn't ring true to me; she thought and acted more like a man. Later I found out that the author was actually a man writing under a female pseudonym.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Joykins

This thread now officially reminds me of I.P. Freely, famous author of _The Yellow River_ and other inanities of my youth.

That takes me back to jr high or maybe even elementary school.

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I can also see people using initials or pseudonyms if their names are not fit for the market they are writing for. If you've got an someone called "Visawenitadanaram Karishinerenamenanarar" (this fictive name might actually not be too far off where some Indian names are concerned.... :P) who is writing books for the English-speaking market, I can fully understand if the name on the book would be "V. Karishin", or "Visa Karish" or something.

I'd certainly think you'd want a handle that would be easy for your target audience to pronounce and remember, because you want them talking about you and asking for your book, not staring glassy-eyed at a long string of, say, Polish consonants (there is never pronouncing those things right; you pronounce it Polish style and find out they've Anglicized the pronunciation beyond recognition, or you attempt it with English phonetics and find out you are very far off...)

[Ripplinger]

I never really gave it much thought until reading this thread and the responses have been interesting. For myself, I could care less which gender, if they try to hide their gender by using initials, which is no different to me than using a pseudonym. Many authors do it. Dean Koontz even used Deanna Dwyer as a pseudonym to pay the bills.

If the plot interests me and the reviews are decent, I'll read it. Doesn't matter if male or female author, with or without initials, with or without a pseudonym. Once I like an author's book, I'm very likely to pick up and read more by the same author.

Name or gender just doesn't matter in the choice for me at all.

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by Joykins

I'd certainly think you'd want a handle that would be easy for your target audience to pronounce and remember, because you want them talking about you and asking for your book, not staring glassy-eyed at a long string of, say, Polish consonants (there is never pronouncing those things right; you pronounce it Polish style and find out they've Anglicized the pronunciation beyond recognition, or you attempt it with English phonetics and find out you are very far off...)

And Yet we have Paolo Bagi Bacy bagigul - That bloke who wrote "The Windup Girl"

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by Apache

The use of initials and masculine names was very prevalent in the 1950's and 1960's. How many boys or men would have first picked up a Science Fiction or Fantasy book by Alice Mary Norton?
Apache

Well, even when I was young I followed the same practice as now-I pay attention to the author if I've previously read books by him/her, otherwise I don't care who wrote it-much less do I care whether it was a man or woman. So yes, as a young boy I would have cheerfully read books by Alice Mary Norton-some of them, at least. (I've never been all that fond of her Witch World series although the first few were OK.)

Thinking about it I suspect the difference is in the 'stars'. Males probably prefer male heroes and women authors probably write more about female 'heroes'. This, if true, would lead to a gender distinction in book buying but not based on the gender of the author.

Also, before I get too hung up on the actual gender of the stars consider that it's the gender role (stereotype, probably) that's more important than the actual gender. I've read (and enjoyed) much military SF with female heroes-but the gender role (violence) is still a male stereotype.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by Joykins

This thread now officially reminds me of I.P. Freely, famous author of _The Yellow River_ and other inanities of my youth.

Don't forget other classics of this genre, by such authors as Willie Makit and Betty Dont.