I found these gems on the Gotham Writers Workshop website.
Just imagine....
Dune by Frank Herbert – 13 rejections
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – 14 rejections
Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis – 17 rejections
Jonathan Livingston Seagull – 18 rejections
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle – 29 rejections
Carrie by Stephen King – over 30 rejections
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – 38 rejections
A Time to Kill by John Grisham – 45 rejections
Louis L’Amour, author of over 100 western novels – over 300 rejections before publishing his first book
John Creasy, author of 564 mystery novels – 743 rejections before publishing his first book
Ray Bradbury, author of over 100 science fiction novels and stories – around 800 rejections before selling his first story
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter – rejected so universally the author decided to self-publish the book
From rejection slip for George Orwell's Animal Farm:
“It is impossible to sell animal stories in the U.S.A.”
From rejection slip for Norman MacLean’s A River Runs Through It:
“These stories have trees in them.”
From rejection slip for article sent to the San Francisco Examiner to Rudyard Kipling:
“I'm sorry, Mr. Kipling, but you just don't know how to use the English language."
From rejection slip for The Diary of Anne Frank:
“The girl doesn't, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the curiosity level.”
Rejection slip for Dr. Seuss’s And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street:
“Too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling.”
Indeed!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe interesting thing about 'A Time to Kill' is that it was Grisham's first novel but wasn't published until after "The Firm" was published. Go figure.
It's amazing that these very talented authors didn't give up but kept on sending it to publishers. It makes you wonder how many good books were rejected and the author simply gave up.
ReplyDeletelots....at lunch today i was remembering practically the ONLY thing ever said to me by a teacher in all of grade school. the art teacher dug her long, red fingernails into my skinny little 7-year-old shoulder and hissed, "there's NO SUCH THING AS A PURPLE CAT!!"
ReplyDeleteJulia Cameron calls these people "enemies" of your creative process. such people tend to make anyone feel skittish about any HINT of rejection.
Xtreme English, if such people are enemies, you are an angel! I remember showing one of my own stories to you back when I was a young teenager. I probably thought I could send it in to Seventeen and be published. It was some sort of typical girl meets boy from the wrong side of the tracks story. My version was rather short on showing character. The story featured a "mean boy." I've always remembered what you said about that. You asked me, "Why is he mean? Does he pull wings off flies?" That advice stuck with me long after I'd forgotten whatever my English teachers said. Thanks for taking me seriously! The D.N.
ReplyDeleteDN: argh...you have no idea how many times i've thought of your story and my idiotic comments and how you subsequently NEVER WROTE ANOTHER STORY! or at least, you never wrote another one and sent it to me. i am verklempt. that's exactly the kind of thing i'm talking about. i fit very nicely in the category of the persons who rejected rudyard kipling and the diary of anne frank. just another stupid know-it-all. please, write ANOTHER story!
ReplyDeleteand sent it to me...i'll PUBLISH it on XE
ReplyDelete