Posted on 2013-Jul-15
Debunking Mystery
In case you may have never read or heard of The Cuckoo’s Calling, Google is your best bet to find out about the epic revelation behind the laudable yet suspicious marketing plan devised by a world-famous author. This one came as a bit of a shock, and it shows that good writing can make an unheard of author famous overnight.
From Obscurity to Celebrity
It might sound a bit exuberant for a totally unknown author to hit it big time in the literary scene hailed as “another occupant in the scene.” The author’s name sounds like a general choice for an author to pick up a war story. Despite the pre-release, the print book garnered rave reviews and most of the 5-star reviewers were left wondering how accurate the storytelling is. This story would have landed the mysterious author an enviable deal had he actually been a living person.
Something’s Missing Here
The fictitious existence of Robert Galbraith is first investigated by The Sunday Times according to the New York Times after an anonymous Twitter user leaked the true identity of the author. The leaked information was tipped by someone whose account had been erased and untraceable. The further investigation unveiled several possible leads that connected the dots of how the emerging author shared the same resources with the author of the Harry Potter series and an adult fiction recently published. There were simply too many coincidences how the new bestseller’s writing style contributes to an earlier success of Harry Potter and the Casual Vacancy.
Confession of a Secret Keeper
When confronted with whether the male pseudonym is somehow related to J. K. Rowling, her spokesperson had no choice but to “fess up.” Despite the prestigious name to be grazed on the cover, the unstoppable and unputdownable success suddenly put the scarcity of the book form in ‘out of stock’ status. The reception of such a revelation draws mixed feelings about the author’s business practices.
Public Recognition
On the one hand, the book proves to be an instant success without the help of the established brand (successful author’s name). Furthermore, it is undeniable that the publicity stunt as a result of the revelation must have shot the book to fame as more speculation and investigation has created curiosity in the book itself. One obvious benefit from attaching a new alter ego to your work is you take less pressure from earlier success and stand an opportunity to start fresh with your creative talents.
Lines That Should Not Have Been Crossed
On the other hand, J.K. Rowling’s suspicious scheme of marketing raises concerns and disapproval among her professional league of colleagues. Why would she go to great lengths in fabricating the author page on Amazon? When I checked the author page today, the author’s bio went missing yet the pasted information from this website verifies a convincing profile that will surely appeal to readers. One user on The Passive Voice expressed her worry about Rowling’s intent to toy with the bio page’s credibility on Amazon. Now that everyone knows who Robert Galbraith represents, the self-proclaimed declaration that he was a military vet and criminal investigation expert does not sound right any longer.
Instant Success
Despite the criticism and controversy that have prevailed over Rowling’s latest fiction, the fruitful calculation of the book’s reception must bring some sense of relief for her. Her masculine alter ego has outperformed Patterson’s overall Author Rank…
and seized the top spot on Amazon’s Top 100 Paid chart.
Unlike the true identity of the female author who sits comfortably by the window, Rowling’s author rank is nowhere near her pseudonym’s.
Your Opinion?
With the help of media-hyped context, the information that has led to solve one puzzle within another questionable puzzle will surely sell. In this case, the interwoven articles of unmasking Galbraith’s fictional identity reintroduce the significance of a pen name that unleashes the author’s creativity to experiment a new genre outside what she has typically been credited for. However, putting the financial stardom aside, I’d rather leave it to our readers to have your say about the ethical lines that an author should not cross.
Label: Marketing
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