The number of times such and such iconic book was rejected has long been a favorite parlor game. One of the many iterations in this genre: 50 Iconic Writers Who Were Repeatedly Rejected (many of them quite rudely).
As agent Michael Bourret pointed out a while back: everyone gets rejected. Everyone. Show me a writer and I’ll show you someone who has been rejected. Repeatedly. By agents. By editors. By reviewers. Everyone.
The funny thing about these lists is that they’re often used as evidence the publishing system is broken, especially among those who have received one too many rejection.
People start shaking their fist about how the industry is stupid because INSERT NUMBER number of agents/publishers passed on INSERT ICONIC BOOK and then that book went on to become a RAGING SUCCESS. The raging success, of course, is meant show that the system is broken. Because, um, it was eventually so successful. Stupid home run hitter, you should have hit it a grand slam ON THE FIRST PITCH!
It always bears repeating: publishing is a human institution. Not everyone is going to see what others love in a book, even one that goes on to big success. Fit and enthusiasm are everything. And of course: Miss Cleo notwithstanding, humans are only so good at predicting the future.
Ergo: all writers are going to receive rejections. Even the best ones.
Still, these lists do have a purpose: they remind us that all writers have to go through their share of rejection.
There is definitely some comfort in knowing that the road isn’t easy. Even for the best.
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Wordy Birdie says
And if it were easy, would it be so worth it? Probably not!
Rejection letters are a rite of passage, and a reminder each time, that you are a submitting writer ever one step closer to your goal. Keep them, cherish them, enjoy them!
soompt says
Getting rejected doesn't mean you're any good.
Jaimie says
I needed to read this today. Thanks.
Steppe says
The more rejections the higher the odds go
up that its a ground breaking story or a heartbroken author.
Cliche of the day:
"Live to write, write to live."
Mel Bossa says
It's a rite of passage. It hurts, but it's a good hurt. The kind that teaches a lesson. A little thing called humility. Unless, you know, you're already humble (nearly suicidal ), and then that rejection letter sends you off boozing, feeding pigeons your left-over ramen noodles. But not me. I'm good. I'm fine.
Thermocline says
Eh. I couldn't hit things on the first pitch even when I played baseball … or T-ball. Now THAT was embarrassing.
Jael says
The problem with the "SEE you SUCKERS in publishing don't know ANYTHING" argument is that it assumes the book that got the rejections is exactly the same book as the one that eventually was hugely successful. What with editing at the agent and editor level, in some cases the changes are pretty radical.
But rejection is just part of the process. You get used to it, and you soldier on.
Cynthia Leitich Smith says
I always saw those sort of lists as inspiring. The authors mentioned didn't give up, and I won't either.
JDuncan says
Hey, it's going to be a "no" if you don't submit, so why not try? For me, it's simple matter of numbers. Limited ability to buy, and way too many writers wanting to get published. Well that, and knowing not to take rejection personally. Even the great ones had haters.
Stuart Neville says
I've made this point many times over, both on my blog, and when asked for advice by other writers. The most important factor in an agent or editor taking on a book is whether or not hey connect with it on a personal level. You can rationalise it all you want (and blogging agents are particularly prone to doing just that), but it really comes down to that indefinable X-factor.
Wendy and Charles Siefken says
Wow, I just read through the list and was amazed at how many famous writers I recognized on there. I do keep re writing my Queries and keep trying to come up with the right formula that will get a yes. We haven't had any bad rejections, all very polite but still a no. Its not the right book for them. We will keep trying and keep revising.
H.C.Reignoir says
I think there is another important message in all these rejection stories: Revision is crucial.
If our work gets rejected, okay, it's just another chance to go over it and revise. There's always something else to fix and by that I don't mean over-polishing our text, just making it the best it can be before sending it back out to the world.
We can always revise and improve.
Julie says
Wow. Quite a list! I like your emphasis on fit and connection. Not every agent or editor is going to feel that spark, but what a triumph when someone does. There IS an audience for every book and story out there, and that is no small comfort.
Anne Lyken-Garner says
Just another reason to keep trying. I think the lists prove that maybe some publishers/agents who received those masterpieces didn't actually read them. If they did, wouldn't they have 'discovered' it first?
These list also makes us stronger to keep trying like those authors did.
Jenna Wallace says
It must be a day to muse on rejection. My post today is on Perseverence versus Denial. How many rejections do you rack up before you decide it isn't going to happen?
Honestly, I'd like to know!
https://www.inthedreamstate.blogspot.com/
abc says
Rejections build character! Or something.
Josin L. McQuein says
One problem with those lists is that you end up with American Idol mentality. For every "I didn't give up" story that leads to someone of brilliance being discovered, there are 10,000 hopeless wannabes without a chance of ever seeing commercial success that think they're that "one".
Almost every reject at American Idol thinks the judges are idiots for passing on them (and are genuinely surprised that they didn't make the cut). Some of them will realize, once they've seen themselves on TV, that singing isn't their thing. Others will continue on seeking their big break under the belief that they're truly gifted.
Writing's the same way.
Many authors have Golden Word syndrome and can't separate themselves from their books. They take every rejection of a MS as a rejection of them as a person, when it's not. They see the agent/editors as one more person trying to stop on their dream and "keep them down". This mindset keeps going until the writer stops externalizing their failure to capture attention and re-examines their product. Maybe it's derivative or boring. Maybe they just can't tell a story someone else wants to read.
One agent said it best. When you submit a MS, you're asking a simple question: Do you want to publish this (or represent, if it's to an agent).
The answer is just as simple: Yes I do. OR No I don't.
Nowhere in either question does the value of the work or the writer come into the equation.
Michelle says
Not quite as encouraging as "rainbows and puppies," but helpful in the wake of form rejections on a query you've spent hours (days?) perfecting.
Thanks for the post!
Dawn Maria says
Well it looks like I'm in damn good company! What a boost.
Maya says
"The funny thing about these lists is that they're often used as evidence the publishing system is broken"
Maybe you just see it that way because you're an agent 🙂 but I only see these lists as inspiration for writers, telling them not to give up.
Anonymous says
Thank you, Nathan!
I find these kinds of rejection stories to be inspirational.
Great blog post, though. Love it!
Best,
J.F.
Martin says
Jason Pinter makes some scary points about this subject in his recent blog post: https://huff.to/bMZGdw
Rejection isn't doing the job it used to, and we're all in trouble because of it.
Terry Stonecrop says
I think these lists are popular because it makes writers feel better knowing that William Golding and Margaret Mitchell faced many rejections too.
And they made it big…so hope springs eternal.
Mira says
Oh, well, this is an area we disagree, Nathan, I do think the system doesn't work well. Not people within it, but the system.
Actually, I really liked the way that SS@S said it in post a couple of weeks ago – the industry has not yet matured. That's a better way to say it.
But I'm trying to GET ALONG lately, so I won't pontificate. On the other hand, I'm also trying to have INTEGRITY, so I don't want to just not say ANYTHING.
On a very important side note, I really need to learn how to BOLD my comments.
So enough of that, in terms of the presevering though rejection – HUZZAH!!
I really need this myself. I tend to get completely flat-lined by harsh rejection – even if I don't respect the source. I have no idea why I'm so sensitive, but it really needs to change. I need to trust myself more.
I do think it's a hard question – when to give up. I'm still going with NEVER. Believe in yourself. At the same time, keep working on other books, and eventually you'll grow enough as a writer to evaluate the one that got rejected as:
a. an early effort, or
b. pretty darn good, I'm going to keep plugging, someone will see it. If I get no bites, I'll publish to Kindle and see what the readers think.
The one I heart the most is Chicken Soup for the Soul, which had 120 rejections.
Amazing. I tend to give up after two. So, they are my heroes.
Thanks for the encouragement, Nathan, even if we do disagree about the other stuff. 🙂
Elspeth Antonelli says
Having doors slammed in your face is a great equalizer. This is a strange profession.
Rick Daley says
I'm still keeping tally of the number of rejections I receive so I can one day say my book was rejected X times before it was published.
BTW…X is a variable, not a Roman numeral 10.
I'm just happy to have a book on submission to publishers. And last week was a rejection-free week. It was also an offer-free week, but let's not be negative.
Milo James Fowler says
I received three warm rejections yesterday, and after polishing up each of my submissions, I sent them off to three different magazines. I'm starting to see rejection as an invitation to revise my work further and–hopefully–make it better by the time it's finally accepted somewhere out there…
Marsha Sigman says
I think rejection only makes you try harder if this is what you were meant to do.
D. G. Hudson says
Rejection does strange things to people. We can get moody, stubborn, angry, or depressed when our offering of a story is dismissed for whatever reason. Human nature wants attaboys and approvals, not rejection.
It's a rite of passage, as one commenter said. It should strengthen our resolve.
Karen says
While I always think it's interesting to hear about iconic authors' many rejections by apparently hapless agents, it doesn't really mean much to me. Especially with the more I learn about how the publishing industry DOES work.
The fact is, Harry Potter would have been different and might not have been as successful if a different agent who knew different editors who worked for different publishing houses had said yes right off the bat. The sheer number of people that collaborated to edit and promote the series helped make it what it is today. JK Rowling is an extraordinarily talented woman who wrote a set of books that will not soon be matched in their greatness, but the journey and the level of success would have probably been much different under the guidance of someone else.
Lucy says
"There is definitely some comfort in knowing that the road isn't easy. Even for the best."
Interesting, isn't it? that the reaction to such lists says more about the writer than it does about publishing. Those prone to self-pity or negative outlook see a deck stacked against them; and those who are hopeful, dedicated and optimistic see a suggestion of their own eventual success.
Glass half empty…. Glass half full.
Wordver: linger
Which means if I actually played the lottery, it would be my day to win, because there's clearly a favorable astronomical alignment going on. Blogger made a REAL WORD! Yes! 😀
Myrna Foster says
The bit about Judy Blume not being able to look at Highlights without wincing is heartening. They like my poems, but they've rejected every story I've sent (with very encouraging hand written notes).
I read in a Writer's Market article, a few years back, that Paula Danziger never received a rejection. But they only mentioned the fact because it was so unusual.
February Grace says
Thank you Mr. Bransford, even though I'm just a rejection newb it's good to know that the road ahead of me is complicated and angst ridden! LOL (and yes I'm joking. After going blind and going through a lot to get any sight back, I'm happy I can SEE my rejections! That makes you appreciate the puppies and rainbows believe you me).
This came to me a couple days ago pondering the whole issue of 'x factor' or 'fit or resonance or what have you'.
This little writer wrote a novel.
She read and researched and edited and then she saw a house up in the beckoning distance. She knew that there were people inside that house who could help her show her books to the world, and that was what she most wanted of all things she'd ever wanted before.
She went to the door and saw three slots with multiple genre listings over them in long, neat rows. She looked at the list, squinted, bit her lip blinked three times and then her eyes widened with apprehension.
"Oh no!" cried Goldi, as she read the lists. "This novel is too small! It's the literary equivalent of a Twinkie!"
"But don't people like Twinkies?" The little bear seated beside the door asked, as he set down his Kindle. "Some do. Some go the whole Ding Dong/Ho Ho route and I'm one of them but that's neither here nor there. "
"So what do I do now?"
"Darn if I know, I'm just a bear." The bear flipped his Kindle back on and returned to reading On Writing by Stephen King.
Goldi sized up the slots, thought a minute and pulled out the manuscript of her second novel- a whopping 100k words with pretty prose and elaborate descriptions of soap opera divas and even a pink snowstorm (it works, trust me) a book she had pretty much had the time of her life writing- but then she read the footnote about shorter books being better first chances for a novelist to get an agent and wondered even as she internally debated the eternal question "Chick lit or Women's Fiction or WHAT?"
"Uh oh, is this novel too big?"
By this time she was talking to herself, because the Bear was listening to Lady Gaga on his iPhone while simultaneously updating his Facebook status and Tweeting: Clueless blonde broad at the door. Wish her the best of luck in finding representation.
Stephanie Garber says
I know it's already been said, but thanks for posting this!
Tabitha says
"Stupid home run hitter, you should have hit it a grand slam ON THE FIRST PITCH"
Not only that, but who's to say that the reason the book became an eventual success is because of who picked it up, and who worked with it to help it become the best it could be. It's possible that same book wouldn't have done as well if someone else would have picked it up, because that person's vision/workload/whatever might be different.
So, yeah, everyone gets rejected. But that's not necessarily a bad thing…
Amy Allgeyer Cook says
I agree with what Maya said above. I've never thought of these lists as some sort of evidence the publishing industry is broken. Instead, I see them as evidence that not every agent/editor/reader will like every manuscript. These lists serve as encouragement to us writers dealing with rejection, and God knows we certainly need it.
Remus says
I think the point of these parlor games, Nathan, is that 'fit and enthusiasm' are unpredictable and subjective, which *then* proves the publishing industry is broken. The aspects that you see as essential are what others perceive as mortal flaws.
Kristi Helvig says
Rejections will just make me that much more grateful to be agented and hopefully published. I actually want to be rejected by those who don't love my book (I'm just hoping that's not everyone :)), as the person who does love it will fight for it!
Anonymous says
The stats mentioning the writers who wrote everyday for four years (eight years in one case) before getting published is presented as though that's surprising news. The author of the list should've researched better and would've known that the norm is that ALL writers work on their craft for years before getting publishing, no exceptions, except maybe, a few.
Nathan Bransford says
remus-
Every human institution is flawed because every institution is made up of individuals with subjective tastes, who have their own opinions, who make mistakes, etc .etc. I have a hard time seeing how this makes publishing (or any other institution) mortally flaws unless you have a supremely pessimistic view of human nature.
Ken Baker says
I'll take a rejection any day over a non-response. At least you know they read it. Rejections also help you gauge your progress. If all you get is form rejections, you probably have a bit more work to do on your writing or your approach. As you start to get personal comments or even "smiley" faces on your rejections, you know you're getting closer. I love those smiley faces.
Tchann says
It doesn't even enter my mind that the system could even be broken.
Instead, every rejection I receive sends me spiraling further into a pit of self-loathing and depression that lasts only as long as it takes for me to have an idea and start writing again.
And then? The cycle repeats…
Fawn Neun says
Hey, Decca turned down the Beatles, who in turn (on their Apple label), turned down David Bowie. So… my guess is it doesn't mean as much as we think it means.
Fawn Neun says
@remus – Often it's a case of square peg/round hole.
Seriously. It really, really is. I've turned down shorts for our journal that were snatched up by others. Like any art, literature is a matter of taste, and packaging and marketing it is really a gamble. And will never be anything else.
February Grace says
As long as nobody reacts like Bernard Black did to rejection, then it's all good.
If you're to the point where you're thinking like that, then it's definitely time to quit…
Nancy says
My screen saver is a marquee that quotes Agatha Christie: "I assumed the burden of the profession, which is to write even when you don't want to, don't much like what you are writing, and aren't writing particularly well," to which I would add, "and even when it feels like no one else likes what you write either…"
Thanks, Nathan–great post!
Jck says
I think Stuart is right on the money here, the Factor-X, the conection agent-writer is vital. And once your book is out there the same goes for writer-reader.
If I start reading a book and I don't conect in the first page, I stop reading.
YES, as a consumer I forget I'm an aspiring writer (guilt trip right now!).
Susan Kaye Quinn says
Thanks for a great reminder, and the perspective!
Marilyn Peake says
I don’t think the author of the article "50 Iconic Writers Who Were Repeatedly Rejected" is saying anything at all negative about the publishing industry. She only said, "Whether you're a struggling writer, or just studying to be one, you probably know that there's a lot of rejection in your future. 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." I think she was just giving a pep talk to writers, telling them to keep on writing, no matter how difficult it gets. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
Malia Sutton says
Rejection does make you tougher. And if you're going to stay in publishing for the long haul, you'll need all the initial rejections you can get to prepare you 🙂