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1. J.K. Rowling
Before Harry Potter became a global phenomenon, J.K. Rowling faced rejection after rejection. She was a single mother living on welfare in Edinburgh, struggling with depression and self-doubt. Twelve publishers famously turned down her manuscript for “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.” According to Rowling, she considered herself “the biggest failure” she knew. It was only after Bloomsbury’s chairman’s eight-year-old daughter insisted on reading more that the book saw the light of day. Rowling has since said she was “on the brink of giving up” right before this breakthrough. Now, her story is a beacon for aspiring authors everywhere, showing how persistence can defy even the bleakest odds.
2. Stephen King
Stephen King’s debut novel, “Carrie,” almost didn’t exist. After writing the opening scene, King threw the manuscript in the trash, convinced it wasn’t any good. His wife, Tabitha, fished it out and encouraged him to finish it. King had received about 30 rejections for previous work and was working as a high school janitor at the time. He later admitted in interviews that he felt like quitting writing altogether. When “Carrie” was finally published in 1974, it became a bestseller and launched his career, but it all hinged on not giving up at his lowest moment.
3. Agatha Christie
Known as the “Queen of Crime,” Agatha Christie’s first novel, “The Mysterious Affair at Styles,” was rejected by six publishers over five years. During World War I, Christie worked as a nurse, and writing was her escape. The repeated rejections and a tumultuous personal life, including a public disappearance in 1926, nearly made her abandon writing. Christie confessed in her autobiography that she felt invisible and hopeless at times. She persevered, eventually becoming one of the best-selling authors in history, with over two billion copies of her books sold worldwide as of 2024.
4. George Orwell
George Orwell, author of “1984” and “Animal Farm,” faced severe health problems and poverty. After fighting in the Spanish Civil War and being shot in the neck, Orwell was constantly ill, often bedridden with tuberculosis. His first book, “Down and Out in Paris and London,” was rejected by multiple publishers. By 1944, after writing “Animal Farm,” he was told by one editor that “it is impossible to sell animal stories in the USA.” Despite despair and debilitating illness, Orwell continued, and his works are now recognized among the most influential of the 20th century.
5. Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou’s path to literary greatness was filled with trauma and self-doubt. After experiencing a traumatic childhood, Angelou stopped speaking for almost five years. She worked as a fry cook and cable car conductor before writing “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Even then, she feared her voice wouldn’t matter. It took encouragement from novelist James Baldwin and editor Robert Loomis to convince her to write her story. She faced multiple rejections but refused to be silenced. Her memoir, published in 1969, broke ground for Black women in literature and remains a classic.
6. F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald, the mind behind “The Great Gatsby,” saw his early work repeatedly rejected. His first novel, “This Side of Paradise,” was turned down by Scribner’s before editor Max Perkins saw its potential. Fitzgerald often wrote in poverty, struggling with alcoholism and his wife Zelda’s mental health issues. He once received a rejection letter for a short story that read, “You’d have a decent book if you’d get rid of the Gatsby stuff.” Fitzgerald reportedly contemplated quitting, but his perseverance helped define the Jazz Age in American literature.
7. Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson, now celebrated as one of America’s greatest poets, spent her life in near-complete obscurity and isolation. Only a handful of her poems were published during her lifetime, and most were heavily edited by others. Dickinson’s unconventional style and themes were not understood or appreciated by her contemporaries. She reportedly felt discouraged and withdrawn, hiding her poems away. It wasn’t until after her death in 1886 that her work was properly recognized. Dickinson’s struggles with self-doubt and reclusiveness nearly kept her genius hidden forever.
8. Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens was forced to work in a blacking factory as a child after his father was sent to debtor’s prison. These harsh experiences left him feeling abandoned and hopeless. Before publishing “The Pickwick Papers,” Dickens was rejected by several publishers and considered giving up writing for good. His early stories were published under the pseudonym “Boz,” and he faced constant insecurity about his place in the literary world. Dickens persevered, eventually becoming the most popular novelist of Victorian England, with his works still beloved today.
9. Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood, author of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” endured years of rejection and skepticism from the literary establishment. In the 1970s, Atwood’s dystopian themes were considered too bleak. She faced publishers who doubted her narrative style and told her that “female-driven dystopian fiction wouldn’t sell.” Atwood has spoken openly about her struggle with imposter syndrome and moments of wanting to walk away from writing altogether. Her persistence paid off, as her novels have since become both bestselling and critically acclaimed, inspiring a new wave of feminist literature.
10. Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)
Dr. Seuss, beloved by children around the globe, almost quit writing after 27 publishers rejected his first book, “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.” Geisel later recalled that he was “walking dejectedly down Madison Avenue” with the intention of burning the manuscript. A chance encounter with a friend at Vanguard Press changed everything. The book was published in 1937 and launched a legendary career. Dr. Seuss’s playful rhymes and imaginative characters have delighted generations, but it all could have ended with a single act of despair.
11. James Baldwin
James Baldwin, one of America’s most important writers on race and identity, faced fierce rejection early on. He moved to Paris in the late 1940s after being told by publishers that his work was “too controversial” for the American market. Baldwin struggled financially, at times unable to afford food or rent. In his essays, he wrote about feeling “invisible and unwanted,” often considering giving up writing altogether. Nevertheless, Baldwin’s persistence led to masterpieces like “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” which reshaped discussions on race and literature.
12. Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott, author of “Little Women,” grew up in poverty and worked various jobs to support her family. Publishers initially rejected her stories for being “too sensational” or “unladylike.” Alcott herself admitted she was tempted to give up and take a teaching job for financial stability. With encouragement from her mother and editor, she kept writing, eventually creating one of the most cherished novels in American literature. By 2024, “Little Women” has been translated into over 50 languages and remains in print worldwide.
13. Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka published only a handful of stories during his lifetime and struggled with deep self-doubt. He requested that his unpublished work be destroyed after his death, believing it unworthy. Kafka’s day job as an insurance clerk left him little time to write, and he often felt overwhelmed by anxiety and illness. Despite his wishes, his friend Max Brod refused to destroy his manuscripts, leading to posthumous publication of “The Trial” and “The Castle.” Today, Kafka’s work is essential reading, but his legacy was almost lost to history.
14. Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston, a key figure of the Harlem Renaissance, saw her work dismissed during her lifetime. After publishing “Their Eyes Were Watching God” in 1937, Hurston fell into poverty and obscurity. Critics both Black and white rejected her literary style, and she struggled to find publishers. At one point, she worked as a maid to survive. Hurston’s work was rediscovered in the 1970s, thanks in part to Alice Walker’s advocacy, and she is now hailed as a foundational voice in American literature.
15. Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath’s struggle with mental illness is well-documented, and it deeply affected her confidence as a writer. Her novel “The Bell Jar” was rejected by several publishers, who considered it too dark and controversial for its time. Plath felt isolated in the literary world, often doubting her talent and fearing she would never find an audience. Her poetry collections also faced resistance, but she persisted, producing some of the most haunting and influential poetry of the 20th century.
16. Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel García Márquez, the master of magical realism, almost abandoned writing while working as a journalist in Colombia and Mexico. The manuscript for “One Hundred Years of Solitude” was rejected by multiple publishers, many calling it “too dense and strange.” García Márquez faced financial hardship, at one point pawning his wife’s jewelry to afford postage for the manuscript. In interviews, he described feeling close to giving up but pressed on, resulting in a Nobel Prize and global acclaim.
17. Harper Lee
Harper Lee worked for years on “To Kill a Mockingbird,” plagued by anxiety and self-doubt. Lee was unknown in publishing and relied on friends for financial support while writing in a tiny New York apartment. She almost abandoned the manuscript after a series of rewrites and edits left her feeling discouraged. It was her editor, Tay Hohoff, who convinced her not to give up, telling Lee, “You have a story that needs to be told.” The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and became an American classic.
18. John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck, whose novels like “The Grapes of Wrath” captured the struggles of ordinary Americans, faced years of rejection and poverty. Early on, publishers dismissed his work as “unmarketable.” Steinbeck worked as a laborer and caretaker, barely scraping by. He admitted in letters to friends that he felt like giving up many times, especially after the lukewarm reception of his first few books. His perseverance led to a Nobel Prize and enduring literary fame.
19. Elizabeth Gilbert
Before “Eat, Pray, Love” made Elizabeth Gilbert a household name, she collected rejection slips for nearly six years. Gilbert worked odd jobs, from bartender to waitress, and received so many “no” letters that she kept them in a folder labeled “The Bad News.” She described in interviews how she almost stopped submitting work, convinced she wasn’t cut out for the literary life. Gilbert credits her “stubborn hope” for keeping her going, and her memoir has since sold over 12 million copies worldwide.
20. Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison, who became the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, faced a publishing world that doubted the marketability of her stories. Her debut novel, “The Bluest Eye,” was rejected by several publishers who claimed it was “too raw.” Morrison was working as an editor at Random House and raising two sons as a single mother. She often wrote at night or in the early morning, exhausted and close to quitting. Morrison’s work has since reshaped American literature and is studied in classrooms around the globe.
Besides founding Festivaltopia, Luca is the co founder of trib, an art and fashion collectiv you find on several regional events and online. Also he is part of the management board at HORiZONTE, a group travel provider in Germany.
