Harry Potter author JK Rowling's success with the creation of her young boy wizard and the magical world of Hogwarts is undeniable, but the journey towards success has not been easy for Rowling, who was rejected several times by different publishing houses before getting her breakthrough.
The first agent she sent her manuscript to even failed to return her folder, the author revealed in her Twitter conversations, and it really bothered her because she and her daughter were struggling to make ends meet at that time.
When a fan asked if Rowling ever felt nervous submitting her work to agents, and added that getting a "no" is the worst thing an agent can say, Rowling replied: "The first agent I ever queried sent back a slip saying 'My list is full. The folder you sent wouldn't fit in the envelope. I really minded about the folder, because I had almost no money and had to buy another one."
Rowling added that she received "loads" of rejections before she finally got published. "First publisher to turn down Harry also sent @RGalbraith his rudest rejection. They don't even want me in a beard," she said.
Robert Galbraith is Rowling's male pseudonym, and she used the name to write The Cuckoo's Calling.
But now, things have changed drastically for Rowling and she is far from worrying about where to get funds to buy another folder. Someone asked Rowling how many folders she has now, and the author jokingly replied: "I now have over a million folders, all made of costly silks, each one hand-gilded by artisans in Paris."
Despite her success, Rowling has remained grounded and talks about constantly improving her work. "Believe me, neither @RGalbraith nor I walk around thinking we're fab. We just shoot for 'writing better than yesterday,'" she said.
