Can you imagine a world without Dr Seuss? Why, all the laughs and smiles his books have generated could probably fill the oceans and lakes of our great planet!
Rejection... it's a word nobody wants to hear. If we, could, we'd erase it right out of the dictionary.
But it happens every day. Every time you turn around, you hear stories like these:.
Beatrix Potter:
Beatrix actually had to self-publish her book, 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit.' She had 250 books printed and it has now sold over 45 million. I'd say, good for you, Beatrix! You were way before your time!
Nora Roberts:
She first submitted her manuscripts to Harlequin, the leading publisher of romance novels, but was repeatedly rejected. In 1980, a new publisher, Silhouette books, formed to take advantage of the manuscripts from the many American writers Harlequin had rejected. Robert's first novel, 'Irish Thoroughbred' was published and her career as a writer took off, Her first appearance on The New York Times Best Sellers List came in 1991.
Margaret Mitchell:
Her novel 'Gone with the Wind 'was rejected 38 times before it was published.
Richard Bach:
Author of 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull was told “Nobody will want to read a book about a seagull.” The book went on to sell 44 million copies.
Meg Cabot:
Three years of rejection letters stuffed in bags under her bed, didn't stop her. She kept sending out her manuscript for 'The Princess Diaries' and it eventually gets picked up. 15 million copies were sold.
Nicholas Sparks:
24 literary agencies turned down his novel 'The Notebook'. The 25th did not and sold it to Time Warner one week later for $1 million dollars.
Louisa May Alcott:
Publishers told her to "stick to teaching," but she refused to give up her dream of becoming a writer. It has been over 140 years now that her book 'Little Women' continues to be one of the greatest literary works, celebrating the power of being a women.
Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen:
After 140 rejections stating “Anthologies don’t sell” the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' series went on to sell 125 million copies.
Stephen King,:
He had been rejected so many times he threw his book away in frustration. But his wife Tabitha made him try one more time...and he became published. The book was 'Carrie.' It was the book that launched his epic career.
J. K. Rowling... Rowling received "loads" of rejections from book publishers when she first sent out her 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' manuscript. She pinned her first rejection letter to her kitchen wall because it gave her something in common with her favorite writers.
And finally:
Agatha Christie:
After 5 years of continual rejection, she finally landed a publishing deal. Her book sales are now in excess of $2 billion. Only William Shakespeare has sold more.
So, the lesson to be learned here? Never, ever give up. Somehow... somewhere... someone is finally going to come into your life and everything will click in all the right places.
This says it all:
Everyone comes into your life for a reason: some for good, some for bad. They shape us, they form us: some may break us, but in the end they make us who we are.
Be who you are...
Until next time,
Linda
P.S. For a list of more writers who struggled with rejection, check out either of these links:
https://www.onlinecollege.org/2010/05/17/50-iconic-writers-who-were-repeatedly-rejected/
or
http://www.litrejections.com/best-sellers-initially-rejected/
Comments