Herman Melville’s Moby Dick:
“Our united opinion is entirely against the book. It is very long, and rather old-fashioned.”
F. Scott Gitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby:
“You’d have a decent book if you’d get rid of that Gatsby character.”
Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga:
“I didn’t plan to start a new career when I did this, and it took a lot of courage to send out those query letters. I sent 15, and I got nine rejection letters, five no responses and one person who wanted to see me. If it’s something you enjoy, put the determination and will behind it and see what happens.”
More to Come!
I’m not a huge fan of any of these stories, but again…this goes to show that publishing houses and agents do not always know what speaks to people. I wonder how many other great books we lost back then because there weren’t any indie writers and small presses like there are today?
Now that is a pretty scary thought…
Most of the books I’m enjoying recently would never have been picked up by a big publisher even today. Yet I like them. Are they perfect? Nope. Got flaws even I can see. That doesn’t mean they aren’t great stories.
I think it’s all really based on taste and publishers target the biggest cravings. I’ve read tons of stories that have received horrible reviews and liked the book. That’s just how it works sometimes…
They were so much better back then. None of today’s namby-pamby.
I think as time changes so does the tastes of society. But you have a point, I don’t think anyone can hold a candle to the classics. 🙂
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