Famous authors who wrote under a pseudonym

Early in his career, Stephen King was advised that he shouldn't publish more than one book a year.The pseudonym was created for him, which he used intermittently from 1977 to when he was discovered in 1985. Steve Brown, a bookstore clerk in Washington DC, noted the similarities between King and Bachman. Once discovered, King gave an interview to the clerk who wrote an article about the whole experience. (Pic: Stephen King/ Via Facebook)

J.K Rowling, the writer of the famous Harry Potter series enjoyed a few months of anonymity as military veteran Galbraith before being exposed. Reportedly, she sent the manuscript anonymously to publishing houses. Sales shot up when it was discovered to be Rowling, who later said in an interview, “Being Robert Galbraith has been such a liberating experience... It has been wonderful to publish without hype and expectation and pure pleasure to get feedback under a different name.“

When author Isaac Asimov was approached to pen a story for a new television series, the prolific sci-fi writer balked at the idea of publishing under his own name. He ultimately wrote six books in the Lucky Starr series, even though plans for the TV series fell through. Reportedly Asimov grew weary of the pretense and left clues leading directly to him. (Pic: Getty Images)

It's hard to believe that Agatha Christie, one of the world's most revered crime novelists, also wrote romance novels. Christie wrote six novels as Westmacott, a false identity she managed to protect for about 20 years. The books received praise and success prior to the unmasking as well. (Pic: Getty Images)

Italian journalist Claudio Gatti claimed in October 2016 that the reclusive, bestselling writer Elena Ferrante was none other than translator Anita Raja. The revelation kicked off a furore in the literary world. (Pic: via YouTube)

Written at a time (mid to late 1800s) when female authors weren't given the respect they deserved, Mary Ann Evans took on a male nom de plume to be taken seriously. This was a common practice among women writers at the time. Another example belonging to the same era is of the Brontë sisters ­ Charlotte, Emily and Anne ­ who adopted male aliases of Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell. (Pic: Getty Images)