Why did William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge publish Lyrical Ballads anonymously?

Samuel Taylor Coleridge suggested that the 1798 collection Lyrical Ballads be published anonymously primarily for strategic reasons regarding the authors' reputations at the time.1

Coleridge noted to their publisher that William Wordsworth’s name carried little weight, as he had not yet attracted significant public attention. Conversely, Coleridge’s own reputation had been damaged by his radical political views, which had sparked considerable controversy and criticism. By omitting their names, the poets hoped to avoid these personal biases and allow the work to be judged on its own merits as an experimental collection of poetry.13