10 famous books that were first rejected by publishers

Writing a book is very hard work, and many aspiring writers are almost ready to quit after a publisher rejection or two. We want to tell them: "Don't give up!" You will be shocked to find out how many world famous books (and writers) have gone through setbacks on the road to literary fame.

Even the best-selling authors of all time, like J.K. Rowling and Stephen King, who can now swim in money like Scrooge McDuck in gold, have received numerous nos from book publishers.

Here are the top 10 famous books that were initially rejected by publishers.

10. "Dune" by Frank Herbert

The author of the world famous book was refused by publishers 23 times.

Dune, first published as a stand-alone book in 1965, is today considered one of the most popular science fiction titles. George Lucas admitted that Dune was one of the sources of inspiration for Star Wars.

But on the road to fame, Herbert's novel was repeatedly rejected by publishers. From 1963 it was published in parts in the Analog Science Fiction magazine, and even won the prestigious Hugo Prize, but publishers were in no hurry to release Dune in book form. They did not like that Herbert's work was too long and too old-fashioned in writing, and the characters seemed too implausible. Only a small publishing house "Chilton Books" decided to publish "Dune" as a whole work.

There are currently six published novels in the Dune universe. And in 2020 (or 2021, if the premiere date is shifted due to the coronavirus), the film "Dune" directed by Denis Villeneuve should be released. It will replace the not-so-successful version of the 1984 film directed by David Lynch.

9. "Lolita", Vladimir Nabokov

Number of rejections: 5

Nabokov's masterpiece had a hard time finding a publisher, because many considered the book too obscene for public consumption.

One editor wrote, “It's sickening, even for an enlightened Freudian. It will be disgusting to the public. It will not sell and will cause immeasurable damage to the growing reputation ... I recommend burying it under stone for a thousand years. "

8. "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell

The offer to publish the book was rejected: 38 times.

This novel was written by American writer Margaret Mitchell, who worked as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal but was forced to leave her job in 1926 due to physical injury. Her husband gave her a typewriter to help Margaret allay her boredom. Who knew this simple step would be the first on the road to world fame?

Despite dozens of publishers' refusals, the epic about the American Civil War, which took away Scarlett O'Hara's youth and carelessness, was able to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1937, and became the basis for the creation of one of best movies of all time.

7. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

21 publishers have not accepted this book.

One of the refusal letters sent to Golding read: "An absurd and uninteresting fantasy, which is boring nonsense." But this is said about a work that critics later called one of the most important books of the 20th century.

In the end, Faber & Faber agreed to publish the book, but with one condition. The author had to remove the first few pages, which described the horrors of nuclear war. Only the nightmares of human nature remain.

In 1983, William Golding received the Nobel Prize in Literature for Lord of the Flies. And in 2005, the novel was included in the top 100 best works in English since 1923 according to Time magazine.

6. "Frankenstein or Modern Prometheus" by Mary Shelley

The exact number of publisher rejections is unknown.

Surprisingly, the author of the book about the chemical scientist Victor Frankenstein and the monster he created from dead flesh was an 18-year-old girl. Moreover, the work was written on a dispute: one rainy evening, Shelley, her husband Percy and their friend Lord Byron gathered by the fireplace and argued who would write the best work about the supernatural. From that day on, Mary began her work on Frankenstein, the world's first gothic novel.

The first copy of Frankenstein, published in 1818 by the small publishing house Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mayor & Jones, was limited to 500 copies, and Shelley's name was not even on the cover. She had to wait 13 years, until 1831, to see the commercial success of her book.

Today, "Frankenstein's Monster" is one of the most iconic figures in horror history, perhaps second only to Dracula.

5. "Carrie" by Stephen King

Book proposal rejected: 30 times.

Stephen King's first published novel, Carrie, hit bookstores on April 5, 1974, but his journey to publication was not as easy as you might imagine.

Carrie was supposed to be a short story at first, but after writing only three pages, King threw it in the bin. Fortunately, his wife got out a draft and told her husband to turn Carrie into a novel. But that was not the end of King's suffering. Ahead were the refusals of the publishers.

One rejection letter stated: “We are not interested in science fiction, which deals with negative utopias. They are not for sale. "

When Doubleday Publishing agreed to publish the book in hardcover, King was overjoyed and used his $ 2,500 advance to buy a new car.

4. Animal Farm by George Orwell

Number of rejections: 20

Several publishers have abandoned this world famous book for fear of upsetting relations between Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union.

And even when the novel was published, Orwell was criticized. George Soul wrote in The New Republic that Animal Farm “puzzled and saddened me. It turned out to be generally boring. The allegory turned out to be a creaky machine for awkwardly saying what could be said better directly. "

3. "A Rift in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle

Did not agree to publish the book: 26 publishers.

Having crossed the 40-year mark without much literary success, Madeleine L'Engle nearly quit her writing career. But after a 10-week camping trip, she found inspiration to create A Fissure in Time. It has become one of the best books in the genre of children's fiction.

2. "Anne Frank's Diary", Anne Frank

Rejected: 15 times.

Jewish girl Anne Frank and her family were sent to a concentration camp after they were arrested by the Gestapo in 1944. Anne's father, Otto Frank, was the only surviving member of the family. When he was given his daughter's diary, he decided to publish it.

This true story reveals the threats Jews faced during Nazi Germany. Although Anna was murdered at the age of 15, this book remains an upbeat story, despite the horrific ordeals she went through.

One of the publishers, who refused to publish the diary, said of it: "The girl, it seems to me, does not have a special perception or feeling that would raise this book above the level of curiosity."

1. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

Before the book was successful, it was rejected by 8 publishers.

J.K. Rowling's debut novel has sold over 107 million copies, but this success might not have happened if not for Alice Newton, the eight-year-old daughter of Bloomsbury founder Nigel Newton. She found the first chapter of the novel and asked her father to read the rest of the book, which Bloomsbury later agreed to publish.

Fun Fact: The publisher was concerned that Rowling's book was a "boy's book," and the initials JK Rowling were on the covers of the first Harry Potter books to prevent male audiences from prejudicing the stories written by women.

Rowling was also advised to take a day job rather than relying on writing for a career, and was given just £ 2,500 in advance. We all know what happened next: the books, and then the series of films about the Boy-Who-Lived, brought J.K. Rowling worldwide fame. As for the "boy's book", it is universally loved by people of all ages, genders, social classes and cultures.