Out of solidarity with us regular losers, J.K. Rowling has taken to Twitter to share some of the rejection letters she has received over the course of her career, proving that even she gets knocked back sometimes.
Last year on Twitter, Rowling mentioned that she’d had “loads” of rejections, both when she was shopping the first Harry Potter around, and later, when she was attempting to publish under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
It began when she mentioned that she had kept her first Potter rejection on her kitchen wall, as it gave her something in common with her favourite writers:
I pinned my 1st rejection letter to my kitchen wall because it gave me something in common with all my fave writers! https://t.co/ZmGNWDdF7x
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 25, 2016
When a fan asked to see some of the Potter letters, Rowling politely demurred that they were “in a box in my attic”, but instead offered up some letters received on behalf of Galbraith:
The Potter ones are now in a box in my attic, but I could show you @RGalbraith‘s? ?? https://t.co/McGYViYvqp
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 25, 2016
Rowling has published crime novels The Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm and Career Of Evil under the Galbraith name, and she shared (with signatures redacted), some of the correspondence she received in relation to the first of these:
By popular request, 2 of @RGalbrath‘s rejection letters! (For inspiration, not revenge, so I’ve removed signatures.) pic.twitter.com/vVoc0x6r8W
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 25, 2016
“At the risk of ‘teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, may I respectfully suggest the following,” said one publisher, before suggesting that Rowling take a writing course or join a writers’ group.
While she specifically mentioned that she was posting these for inspiration and not revenge, Rowling still made mention of the fact that the publisher who first turned down Potter also sent the “rudest” rejection to Galbraith, via email no less:
Yes, the publisher who first turned down Harry also sent @RGalbraith his rudest rejection (by email)! https://t.co/22Jwf2u8hy
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 25, 2016
In summary:
Source: Twitter.
Photo: Dave J Hogan / Getty.
