Tuesday, February 12, 2013

50 Iconic Writers Who Were Repeatedly Rejected

Whether students are struggling writers, or just studying to be one at accredited online colleges, they probably know that there's a lot of rejection in their futures. Whether you are aiming for a technical program or bachelor’s degree, you will more than likely come to a point where your hard work isn’t quite good enough. But don't be dismayed, rejection happens even to the best. Here are 50 well-respected writers who were told no several times, but didn't give up.
  1. Dr. Seuss: Here you'll find a list of all the books that Dr. Seuss' publisher rejected.
  2. William Golding: William Golding's Lord of the Flies was rejected 20 times before becoming published.
  3. James Joyce: James Joyce's Ulysses was judged obscene and rejected by several publishers.
  4. Isaac Asimov: Several of Asimov's stories were rejected, never sold, or eventually lost.
  5. John le Carre: John le Carre's first novel, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, was passed along because le Carre "hasn't got any future."
  6. Jasper Fforde: Jasper Fforde racked up 76 rejections before getting The Eyre Affair published.
  7. William Saroyan: William Saroyan received an astonishing 7,000 rejection slips before selling his first short story.
  8. Jack Kerouac: Some of Kerouac's work was rejected as pornographic.
  9. Joseph Heller: Joseph Heller wrote a story as a teenager that was rejected by the New York Daily News.
  10. Kenneth Grahame: The Wind in the Willows was not intended to be published, and was rejected in America before appearing in England.
  11. James Baldwin: James Baldwin’s Giovanni's Room was called "hopelessly bad."
  12. Ursula K. Le Guin: An editor told Ursula K. Le Guin that The Left Hand of Darkness was "endlessly complicated."
 
What can be derived from tales like this, is 'never' to give up.
 
And to all those who kindly left messages on my last post I thank you very much.
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43 comments:

  1. Oh Wendy aka Quillfeather! I am so sorry to read about Coco and I am so sorry to be so late reading about your loss. Awwwww big big hugs from me - gentle purrs from my cats and light and love from the universe!

    Never give up! Never surrender!

    Take care
    x

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    1. Thank you Old kitty. I shall never surrender indeed! Well, I'll try not to at least. Thanks sweetpea x

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  2. Love lists like these - they do make me feel better! Rejection is definitely a part of life - but it still stinks! :)

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    1. I'm with you Jemi. It makes me feel much better about myself!

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  3. I can rest easy now, sharing company with such esteemed writers.:)

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  4. I wonder if any of them wrote a letter to the publishers who rejected them after their success? Gosh, it would be tempting, lol. :P

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    1. Celeste - Yes it would! And I'd love to read them, wouldn't you? :)

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  5. JK Rowling <3

    Rejection is an expectation of the business. But how bad would those rejectors feel who turned down such awesome authors...? :D

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    1. I think I'd probably find another profession! Because clearly they are not good at what they do. Wouldn't you?

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  6. Rejection smarts for certain! Still it is nice to know the greats were rejected, too -- including Mark Twain! Thanks for this post, Roland

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    1. Roland - Likewise. I took a great sigh of relief. The very 'best' of them have been rejected! Thanks :)

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  7. Quite a list. I self published my two poetry books,

    Yvonne.

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  8. Yvonnes - Good for you! Hope they are selling well.

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  9. This list is awesome, and oh so well-timed. Thanks!

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  10. I LOVE reading lists like these. Rejection is hard and comes too much. After awhile it's easy to let discouragement sneak in. Yet, we press on just like these talented authors did. Look at all the great literature we would have missed if they had if they had given up. Thanks for the encouragement.

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    1. Scribbles - Well said. My thoughts entirely. Nice to see you here :)

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  11. I'm just venturing forth on this journey and at times it is hard to remember that rejection or criticism is not failure.

    Thanks for the post!

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    1. Jai - Consider each rejection as 'Badges of Determination.' That's what I'm going to do. Nice to see you :)

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  12. What a great list to read when one gets discouraged. Love your layout!

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    1. Thanks Loverofwords! Very kind of you to say :)

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  13. John Grisham sold copies of A Time to Kill out of his trunk because his first publisher went belly-up. This was after many rejections. Thanks for your list, Wendy. It is encouraging.

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    1. Joylene - Yes, John Grisham is the epitome of 'not' giving up. Thanks.

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  14. I'll be naughty and say that I'd probably reject Joyce too :) I've never understood why he is a renowned writer.

    The list shows that you have to believe in yourself, but also that every book has its buyers.

    Happy Valentines to the Middle Earth, WENDY :)

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    1. Dezzy - You're absolutely right - horses for courses - and sheer bloody determination!

      And a very Happy Valentines to you too!

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  15. Hi Wendy, thanks for the timely reminder.

    Happy Valentine's Day,

    Kathy M.

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    1. Thanks Oregon Gifts, and a very Happy Valentine's Day to you too!

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  16. Thanks for visiting my blog! Love the "down under" cave effect at yours. Always wanted to visit New Zealand while living in Malaysia. An encouraging post on writers. One word, one paragraph, one page at a time. It's all about NOT giving up.

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    1. Sharon - Well said! And thank you for visiting my cave Down Under. Hope to see you often :)

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  17. Excellent! Perseverance and dedication are absolutely necessary.

    Happy Weekend :)

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    1. Carol - Absolutely! You have a good weekend too :)

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  18. Gidday Wendy!

    I would have arrived earlier in the week to leave one of my um adored comments, 'butt', I had things to get worked out :)

    And you know that those writers will inspire your resilient determination.

    Wishing you well in your reflective times for your beloved Coco.

    Thanking you for your support and kindness on my site :)

    Evidently, Dr. Seuss did some collaboration work with Willie Shakespeare titled, 'Green Eggs and Hamlet'. It never got published.

    A peaceful Sunday to you, dear friend.

    Gary :)

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    1. Gidday Gary! Thanks for that, good sir. I also wish you a peaceful Sunday. Next time you don't do a posting I shall swing by :)

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  19. Hi Wendy. You probably know that JK Rowling was a starving penniless single mother writing in coffee bars while living in Edinburgh before getting her break. Someone I know was with her at Exeter University and says she is totally unspoiled by her phenomenal success and they remain friends.
    Click here for Bazza’s Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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    1. Bazza - Thanks for that. I am a great fan of JK Rowling. So nice to hear she has remained unaffected by her phenomenal success.

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  20. Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things. What? I mean dont give up.

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    1. Wally - you got there in the end! Quite right :)

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  21. Inspiring post, makes me want to keep sending out queries:) Cool blog:)

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    1. Hi Mark - My thoughts exactly. Methinks quite a few so-called agents need to be fired. Just a thought ... Thanks for following my blog :)

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  22. There are so many stories of rejection. No, you can't let it get to you, but you can see it as an opportunity to revisit your manuscript and make sure it really is as tight as it can possibly be.

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    1. Charmaine - Well said. You're quite right. There are always windows of opportunity.

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