joe bloggs

It's not quite so easy as all that :). Rowling got the knockback from every publisher until she got to Bloomsbury, but that's the story with every decent book ever published, from what I've heard. Of course, the Harry Potter books aren't great literature: they're neither particularly original (Diana Wynne Jones, anyone?) or well-written, but they're evidently filling a niche, and have opened the door for a lot of other work.

Personally, I reckon a good edit (on her later books) and some work on characterisation - Harry and the gang are really morally challenged to the point of being ciphers at times - could make a huge difference to the books... but good on Rowling for getting there!
 

So I shouldn't change my name to J. K. Rowling yet, Ian?

I was thinking John Kenneth Rowling or Joseph Konrad Rowling; although these days it would be more like Jaiden Kane Rowling.

Seriously, I do admire her. Getting children to read in those numbers has to be a good thing. (I haven't actually read any of her books yet.)