Found out the first Harry Potter book was rejected 12 times before getting published

I read that fact in a biography about J.K. Rowling at my local library in Denver. Our book club was arguing about whether editors really know what will sell, and that detail just floored me. Has your club ever found a publishing fact that changed how you see a famous book?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_seth23d ago

Honestly that "editors know what will sell" debate is why so many great books almost never get published.

gonzalez.rowan23d ago

Yeah that "know what will sell" idea is everywhere. It's why we get the same five types of movie and why every new restaurant in my town is just another burger place. People get scared to try something different, so they just copy the last thing that worked. It makes everything feel boring and safe.