Before becoming the queen that she is, JK Rowling had to struggle a lot. The Harry Potter books were rejected multiple times before it became a rage and eventually an addiction. Not only that, The Cormoran Strike Novels that she wrote under the pen name of Robert Galbraith were rejected as well.
So, as you can see, becoming a published author has nothing to do with your talent or how great a writer you are. Rowling is a living and breathing proof of that.
However, after years of toiling when one’s book is rejected, it is only understandable that the author gets dejected. Something similar happened to Twitter user Dianne Brubaker, but like a rockstar she refused to let that get to her. She tweeted:
Not getting down… because this WILL happen. This is just the beginning. @jk_rowling got rejected, I will too! #ItsAllGood #AmWriting
— Dianne Brubaker (@diannebee) March 25, 2016
Soon after, Rowling replied to her tweet and gave the world some much-needed inspiration.
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
How would fans let that golden opportunity go to waste? So, they asked to see the rejection letters, to which she replied:
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
The Potter rejection letters were kept in her attic but the Robert Galbraith ones were nearby. Honestly, I am just surprised she hasn’t framed the Potter rejection letters already!
She showed the letters she received for her Cormoran Strike novels:
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
Somewhere in there, the publishers rejected her novel citing that they couldn’t see it becoming a “commercial success”. Now we know that it was grossly misjudged.
Rowling did not stop with that only. She went on to tweet some life-lessons combined with inspirations and they were golden.
I wasn’t going to give up until every single publisher turned me down, but I often feared that would happen. https://t.co/bMKu4zJ3nm
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 25, 2016
She kept the conversation going and even said:
I had nothing to lose and sometimes that makes you brave enough to try. https://t.co/ETEk8lcih1
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 25, 2016
If you are an aspiring author, listen to her wise words.
Hail, Queen J!
H/T: Distractify