Kat Rosenfield, author and culture writer, discusses the initial skepticism and challenges faced by J.K. Rowling's book before its massive success. Publishers doubted its appeal due to its boarding school theme, length, and potential gender bias. Concerned about attracting boys, they suggested Rowling use the gender-neutral pen name JK Rowling. Despite these doubts, the book, initially printed in only 500 copies, was distributed in 1997 and became a huge sensation.