It’s easy to start feeling bad about yourself when things aren’t going your way. Life is difficult, and when you’re going through a hard time, it can feel like no one understands. However, you might be surprised to know just how universal that feeling is. Celebrated Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling just proved to us all that rejection doesn’t just stop because you’re one of the greatest writers of all time.
Earlier today, Rowling took to Twitter to share a few of the rejection letters she received when pitching books under her pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. In an interview with NPR last year Rowling explained that she chose to write under the name Robert Galbraith because, “there was a phenomenal amount of pressure that went with being the writer of Harry Potter… So you can probably understand the appeal of going away and creating something very different, and just letting it stand or fall on its own merits.”
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
Rowling was steadfast in her determination to get her work out there saying, “I wasn’t going to give up until every single publisher turned me down, but I often feared that would happen.” Rejection is a normal part of life, you simply can’t let the haters get you down. After all, if Rowling had given up years ago, there would be no Wizarding World. Can you imagine living in a world full of muggles?!
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
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
Not everyone is going to love everything you do, you just have to believe in yourself. As Rowling so eloquently stated, “I had nothing to lose and sometimes that makes you brave enough to try.”
