Publishers Are Only Human

"Good things come to those who wait. " - Proverb

If rejection letters have made you feel a bit blue lately, you may want to take a few minutes to read "14 Best-Selling Books Repeatedly Rejected by Publishers" on HowStuffWorks. It’s bound to cheer you up with such tidbits as:

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Persig was turned down 121 times. According to Wikipedia, the book sold over 4 million copies in twenty-seven languages and was described by the press as "the most widely read philosophy book, ever."[

Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen was turned down for a total of 140 times and has now sold more than 80 million copies. It seems the publishers thought the book was “too positive.” I bet all 140 rejecting publishers went into a soundproof room to vent some very unpleasant thoughts when they learned that “too positive” was a very good thing.

Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis was rejected by 15 publishers before Vanguard Press picked it up. It was turned into a Broadway hit and a popular film. Dennis became a millionaire. He was also the first author to have 3 books listed at one time on the New York Times best-seller list. Is there a writer who hasn’t dreamed of this scenario happening to them? Be honest authors!

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach received 18 rejections. When it was published, it sold more than a million copies and became a movie with a soundtrack by Neil Diamond. I certainly wouldn’t mind Neil doing a soundtrack for The Ride. Sigh.

When I was much younger, one of my favorite books was Kon Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl. This book received 20 rejections. One publisher told him the story wouldn’t be very interesting because nobody drowns. Oops.

The rest of the list plus information about each book can be found here.

To me, this proves that publishers are only human and do not always make the right decisions about what sells and what doesn’t. So next time you become discouraged, think positive because your book may show up on a "Best-Selling Books Repeatedly Rejected by Publishers" list someday.

I feel fortunate that The Ride found a publisher. Now I’m waiting for Hollywood to discover the little gem. If you’re listening Hollywood, my sister has the cast figured out –all you need to do is turn it into a blockbuster movie!

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: The Ride, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Chicken Soup for the Soul , Auntie Mame, Jonathn Livingston Seagull, Kon Tiki, Hollywood, rejection letters,