Did I ever turn down a book that went on to become a bestseller. Have you heard of The Liar’s Club? It happens. But there is also a kind of hubris at work to imagine that the book would have had the same impact no matter who published it. The same manuscript published by five different publishers would have five different trajectories on its way into the world. It might have had a different title, would definitely have a different jacket, the editorial work would be different. And the marketing and publicity might have focussed on different medial. Even the time of year when the book came out would have been different and had an impact on the publication. But, yeah, I fucked up.
What bestseller would you have turned down?
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Betsy Lerner 
This is my favorite post so far and it gives me hope.
joy luck club,
rea
Catcher in the rye
Seriously?
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
I have The Liar’s Club. That’s really interesting about a book’s treatment after the fact, and what might have been if in the hands of another publisher. I’d never thought of that.
The rejection for me – Olive Kitteridge. Funny, b/c I really liked the movie. The book? Not so much.
Oh, dear. So, so many.
The Art of Fielding.
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh.
The Hobbit and all his spawn.
Facebook.
the iPhone.
Inflatable Santa lawn ornaments.
I’ve actually had this conversation with my wife, that I’ll never be rich because I would never imagine that anybody would spend fifty or a hundred bucks on an inflatable lawn ornament. I deeply misunderstand contemporary consumer culture.
And I love that rea would have turned down Joy Luck Club, a book that I adored. It’s all PowerBall, isn’t it?
The Bridges of Madison County!! And, I would do it again.
Sent from my iPhone
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Fifty Shades of Grey.
My inner goddess LOVED that book!!!!
/snark
The Help. I loved it.
the lovely bones, as many editors did