From Rejection To Success

After reading John le Carre's, The Spy Who Came In From the Cold, a publisher forwarded the manuscript to a colleague with a note that read, "You're welcome to le Carre. He hasn't got any future." The book went on to become a bestseller and Publisher's Weekly name it "best spy novel of all time."
=================================================

The first Harry Potter book was turned down by eight agents, and when J.K. Rowling finally got a deal, she was warned by the publisher, "You'll never make any money with children's books." Since that time, the Potter books have won multiple awards, sold more than 400 million copies, and been the basis for a popular series of films. As of March 2010, Forbes estimated Rowling's net worth to be $1 billion, ranking her as the 12th richest woman in Great Britain.
================================================= 

John Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill, was rejected by 28 publishers before he found an unknown publisher who was willing to print a short run. Without the benefit of a major publisher's marketing, Grisham went directly to booksellers encouraging them to stock his book. Since that time, he has written 21 best-selling novels, among them The Firm, The Brethren, and The Summons.
================================================= 

James Patterson's first novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, was rejected 26 times before finally being accepted by Little/Brown in 1976. The book won the Edgar Award for the best first mystery novel. He holds the New York Times bestsellers list record with 39 bestselling titles overall and has sold more than 150 million books worldwide. He is the only author to occupy the #1 slot on the New York Times Adult Fiction and Children's Chapter Book bestseller lists at the same time.