3 ms·

Watership Down is a great story but also Richard Adams publishing it was a story of perseverance. It was rejected by multiple publishers back when publishers we

Watership Down is a great story but also Richard Adams publishing it was a story of perseverance. It was rejected by multiple publishers back when publishers were big gatekeepers.[1] Watership Down published by Rex Collings after being rejected by seven other publishers. Becomes Adams' best-known work selling more than 50 million copies worldwide. He wins the prestigious Carnegie Medal [1] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/richard-adams-forever-animated-by-the-life-of-animals-1974572.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/richard-ad...

massysett 10y ago
Aren't the publishers still big gatekeepers? Are there any examples of works by unknown authors that rose to prominence without going through a big publisher? (I wouldn't count something by a prominent author, as they have the name recognition to not need a publisher, at least not as much.)
- ioddly 10y ago
  Sure. Anthony Ryan's Raven's Shadow series was picked up by a publisher after the first book was self-published. (It also took a major dive in quality IMO, but he seems to have recovered with his newest novel). I think this is becoming a more common pattern (popular self-published book leads to larger deals), although I'm just a reader and not involved in the industry.
- kryptiskt 10y ago
  Hugh Howey is one.
- lb1lf 10y ago
  Depends on what you mean by 'rose to prominence', but Andy Weir's The Martian (being one of the most fun science-y novels I've read in recent years) started life as a number of blog entries before being self-published (only to be picked up by a 'real' publisher once the buzz had started)
- CamperBob2 10y ago
  J. K. Rowling comes to mind. Scholastic wasn't a "big publisher" in the traditional sense, more of a niche marketer. Tom Clancy would also qualify, I think.

3 ms·

Watership Down is a great story but also Richard Adams publishing it was a story of perseverance. It was rejected by multiple publishers back when publishers we

by drawkbox 10y ago

massysett 10y ago
Aren't the publishers still big gatekeepers? Are there any examples of works by unknown authors that rose to prominence without going through a big publisher? (I wouldn't count something by a prominent author, as they have the name recognition to not need a publisher, at least not as much.)
- ioddly 10y ago
  Sure. Anthony Ryan's Raven's Shadow series was picked up by a publisher after the first book was self-published. (It also took a major dive in quality IMO, but he seems to have recovered with his newest novel). I think this is becoming a more common pattern (popular self-published book leads to larger deals), although I'm just a reader and not involved in the industry.
- kryptiskt 10y ago
  Hugh Howey is one.
- lb1lf 10y ago
  Depends on what you mean by 'rose to prominence', but Andy Weir's The Martian (being one of the most fun science-y novels I've read in recent years) started life as a number of blog entries before being self-published (only to be picked up by a 'real' publisher once the buzz had started)
- CamperBob2 10y ago
  J. K. Rowling comes to mind. Scholastic wasn't a "big publisher" in the traditional sense, more of a niche marketer. Tom Clancy would also qualify, I think.