These Bestselling Books Got Rejected Again and Again 

Let me cheer you up with the kind of story we authors always love to hear.

A story about books that were rejected numerous times before going on to win prestigious awards, sell millions of copies, or become cultural classics.

Yippee!

I share these stories because nearly every author I coach who wants to pursue a traditional publishing deal eventually runs into the brutal wall of rejection.

You send your manuscript out.

You wait.

Then you receive a form letter saying, "Sorry, this book isn't a fit."

Or worse:

Silence.

After enough rejection, it's easy to start believing the message isn't simply that this particular publisher wasn't interested.

You start thinking:

Maybe I'm not good enough.

But history tells us something very different.

The Gatekeepers Don't Always Know

Some extraordinary books spent years being rejected before someone finally said yes.

• Chicken Soup for the Soul received 144 rejections before finding a publisher. It eventually became an international bestseller and a massive franchise.
• Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was rejected 121 times before going on to sell millions of copies.
• Kathryn Stockett's The Help reportedly received 60 rejections before publication and went on to become a bestseller and successful film.
• Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time was rejected 26 times before winning the Newbery Medal.
• Dune collected 23 rejections before a publisher took a chance on it.
• Dr. Seuss reportedly received 27 rejections.
• Stephen King's Carrie was rejected 30 times before becoming the beginning of one of the biggest careers in modern publishing.  

The lesson isn't that every rejected manuscript will eventually become a bestseller.

It won't.

The lesson is that rejection is not reliable evidence of your book's ultimate potential.

The Gatekeepers No Longer Guard the Gate

And there's another important difference between publishing today and publishing in the past.

You have more options.

When approximately 100 agents passed on Still Alice, neuroscientist Lisa Genova decided to publish the book herself.

A major publishing house eventually came knocking after the book became a hit.

It spent 40 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and Julianne Moore won an Oscar for playing Alice in the film adaptation.  

Traditional publishing can absolutely be a wonderful path.

But it isn't the only path.

You can pursue an agent.

You can approach publishers.

You can self-publish.

You can build an audience while you're writing.

You can explore different ways of bringing your book into the world.

The gatekeepers no longer control every door.

Make Your Peace With Rejection

Whether you pursue traditional publishing or self-publishing, you're almost certainly going to encounter people who disagree with your message, dislike your writing, or criticize your work.

That's part of being a writer.

Instead of trying to eliminate rejection, learn how to live with it.

One practical way to start is by writing publicly.

Create a weekly newsletter.

Post your ideas.

Share your work.

Start conversations.

You're not only building an audience.

You're practicing how to handle being seen.

You will probably receive encouragement.

You may receive praise.

And eventually, someone may disagree with you.

When that happens, take a breath.

Remember that someone cared enough to read your work and respond.

That's a win.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Make Your Peace With Rejection

Commit to sharing your writing at least once a week.

Expect encouragement and praise.

And when criticism comes your way, don't immediately assume you've failed.

Take a deep breath and remember:

Any engagement is a sign that your writing is having an impact.

Respond with a gentle heart full of gratitude.

Someone took the time to read and deliberate on your work.

That's a win.

The Bottom Line

You don't need everyone to say yes.

You need to keep going until you find the right readers, the right opportunity, or the right path for your book.

So if you've received a rejection recently, don't let one person's "no" become your definition of your work.

Take the next step.

As Jack Canfield put it:

"If someone says no, just say NEXT!"

Want to know more about Your Bestselling Book?

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