From Stephen King to Amish Tripathi: 7 authors who were rejected by publishers before making it big

The path to becoming a published author is often a challenging one, marked by numerous hurdles, the worst of which is often rejection by publishers. Despite authors putting in hard work for months and years to write the perfect story, it does not take long for some publishers to reject the manuscript. However, it is in these times that writers need to have unwavering determination and refuse to let rejection define their journey.

Here we list 7 authors who were rejected by publishers before they made it big in the industry.

The novel ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ by Amish Tripathi, is a blend of mythology and adventure, but had faced a surprising fate. Publishers initially dismissed it, categorizing it as a "religious book" that might not resonate with the youth. Despite enduring more than 20 rejections, Amish's belief in himself propelled him to self-publish the book. Eventually, it soared to popularity, selling over a million copies and securing its position as a national bestseller.

(Image: Quercus Publishing)

Yann Martel's ‘Life of Pi’ is a remarkable adventure saga along with creative elements. But, when it was first presented, the book faced initial rejection by five renowned London publishing houses. However, this rejected masterpiece defied the odds and astounded the world by achieving tremendous popularity, especially after the release of the movie adaptation. 'Life of Pi' also won the Man Booker Prize.

(Image: Mariner Books)

It might be hard to believe but Stephen King too had to face rejection by not one, two or 10, but nearly 30 publishers. With his copies being branded as 'science fiction with negative utopias,' they were usually turned away. When his wife convinced him to make one last attempt, the decision transformed the manuscript into the renowned science fiction novel, ‘Carrie,’ which sold a million copies within a year.

(Image: Hodder Paperbacks)

Another iconic rejected book is ‘Frankenstein’. Mary Shelley's timeless mixture of Gothic and Romantic Movement elements and her creation of one of the most memorable horror figures, Frankenstein, was not without its share of criticism and refusal. This classic’s journey through rejection and triumph etched it into the walls of literary history.

(Image: Peacock Books)

A celebrated book on political commentary and satire today, was once labelled as ‘dull, obvious, and boring’. Four publishing houses rejected 'Animal Farm', before its eventual release in 1946 by Secker and Warburg, where it went on to sell nearly 20 million copies.

(Image: Fingerprint! Publishing)

While this may be a hard pill to swallow, J K Rowling’s Harry Potter series too was once rejected by publishers. A favourite of many, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ was rejected by 12 publishers before it finally struck a chord with the Bloomsbury editor’s child. The book and the Harry Potter series went on to become bestsellers, children’s favourites and one of the most famous movie adaptations.

(Image: Bloomsbury Children's Books)

While the book remains a contentious one to date, Vladimir Nabokov's ‘Lolita,’ was also initially rejected by major publishing houses for its controversial nature. While ultimately it emerged as a seminal work when Olympic Press published it, it was previously deemed "overwhelmingly nauseating" and suggested for a thousand-year burial to avoid public outcry.

(Image: Penguin Books Ltd)