Why did hinton use her initials on the book outsiders?

S.E. Hinton didn't use her initials on "The Outsiders" because she was trying to hide her gender. She actually did use her full name, Susan Eloise Hinton, on the book.

There are a couple of reasons why people might think she used initials:

* She was a young author: Hinton was only 17 when she wrote "The Outsiders," and it was published under her real name. This was unusual for the time, especially for a female author.

* Early editions: Some early editions of the book might have used her initials on the cover, but this was likely just a formatting choice and not intended as a pseudonym.

It's a common misconception that Hinton used initials to hide her gender, but she was actually quite open about being a young woman author. This fact is even highlighted in the book's introduction and author notes.