J. K. Rowling's Pseudonym Proves the PR Power of a Name

What’s in a name?

J. K. Rowling has written a crime novel called The Cuckoo’s Calling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, and by doing so has proven two things: Rowling’s writing earns rave reviews no matter what name under which it’s published (because a rose by any other name would smell as sweet), and that her real, Harry Potter-associated name is a veritable gold mine of a brand.

The novel, which was published in April, is set in London and features a one-legged private detective named Cormoran Strike, who is hired to investigate the death of a supermodel called Lula Landry.

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