12 Publishers Commit Suicide

Robert Toy

FOB and Slayer of windmills
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 14, 2007
Messages
6,766
Reaction score
994
Location
La Mancha
In 1995, Rowling finished her manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on an old manual typewriter. Upon the enthusiastic response of Bryony Evans, a reader who had been asked to review the book’s first three chapters, the Fulham-based Christopher Little Literary Agents agreed to represent Rowling in her quest for a publisher. The book was submitted to twelve publishing houses, all of which rejected the manuscript. A year later she was finally given the green light (and a £1500 advance) by editor Barry Cunningham from Bloomsbury, a small British publishing house in London, England. The decision to publish Rowling's book apparently owes much to Alice Newton, the eight-year-old daughter of Bloomsbury’s chairman, who was given the first chapter to review by her father and immediately demanded the next. Although Bloomsbury agreed to publish the book, Cunningham says that he advised Rowling to get a day job, since she had little chance of making money in children’s books. :D
 

Deleted member 42

This is fascinatingly similar to the story of how Tolkien got the Hobbit, his first non-scholarly book, published; the son of the publisher read and liked it--and later became one of Tolkein's editors.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

veinglory

volitare nequeo
Self-Ban
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
28,750
Reaction score
2,933
Location
right here
Website
www.veinglory.com
There's a reasonable chance that if any of those 12 had published it, the book would not have taken off as it did. No way to tell....
 

triceretops

Banned
Flounced
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
14,060
Reaction score
2,755
Location
In a van down by the river
Website
guerrillawarfareforwriters.blogspot.com
That's interesting. I'm wondering if this was 12 full reads, and did not include pitches/synopsis or partials. I'm assuming it was 12 fulls, since that is the way agents send out their manuscripts once they recieve a green light. You've still got to ask yourself what happened here? Is subjectivity that diverse that a dozen publishers failed to see the potential in this book? Just goes to show you--man there ain't no damn formula for picking out a great book.

I've also heard that during that year of submissions, the manuscript was revised and polished per comments from the rejecting editors and, hence, when it hit the 13th house it was pretty damn tight and ready to go. Has anybody heard anything to support this analogy?

Tri
 
Joined
Aug 7, 2005
Messages
47,985
Reaction score
13,245
Maybe those twelve publishers just didn't like the book? It's allowed, you know.
 

Akuma

Rare Writer Pokemon
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 21, 2005
Messages
1,034
Reaction score
334
Location
Colorado
Speaking of karma. . .
 

dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
18,797
Reaction score
4,590
Location
Caledonia
Website
derekpaterson.net
Old story, I think I heard it back in '01 or '02, or whenever the first film came out. Quotation source?

-Derek
 

Unique

Agent of Doom
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 23, 2005
Messages
8,861
Reaction score
3,230
Location
Outer Limits
And Bloomsbury will probably never stop kicking themselves for signing over the USA rights to Scholastic.

That strikes me as funny but I'm not sure why. What's the missing link, Joe. I know it's there. ...
 

aruna

On a wing and a prayer
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 14, 2005
Messages
12,862
Reaction score
2,846
Location
A Small Town in Germany
Website
www.sharonmaas.co.uk
That's interesting. I'm wondering if this was 12 full reads, and did not include pitches/synopsis or partials. I'm assuming it was 12 fulls, since that is the way agents send out their manuscripts once they recieve a green light. You've still got to ask yourself what happened here? Is subjectivity that diverse that a dozen publishers failed to see the potential in this book? Just goes to show you--man there ain't no damn formula for picking out a great book.


Tri

It is certainly subjective. If I'd been an editor I would not have chosen it... I thought it an OK book, but not spectacular. I think there are times when the public is just ready for something, and part of the job of an editor is to gauge the public spirit. This was such a case. if so many rejected it, then it was not an obvious winner.