As noted at the author’s official website, in 1990 while riding the train back home after a weekend of apartment hunting, an idea popped inside Rowling’s head. That idea turned out to be the first Harry Potter book series. Oddly, Rowling states that by the time she received the idea, she had been writing for years, since she was a child.
The one difference in this occasion was that she had not been as excited, as enthused, with an idea she received before. She couldn’t wait to get home and put the idea onto paper. But first she had to finish the four hour train ride home.
Change and Consistency
One can only imagine how quickly the idea might have begun to disintegrate moment after moment, hour after hour, as the train wobbled across the tracks. As soon as she arrived home Rowling acted on the idea she’d suddenly received seemingly out of nowhere.
She started the book, but she had other unexpected events to tackle, namely the passing of her mother and later, the birth of her daughter. She wrote the book at café’s. There were occasions when she said she felt that she didn’t like the book, that she hated the book. The process had not been as easy as she might have imagined. But she kept at it.
A Slow Start
Amazingly, an entire year passed before Rowling’s literary agent was able to land a publisher for the first Harry Potter book. This is the same book that recently sold for more than $19,000 to a comic book collector from Dubai. That first book was one of only a 200 print run.
Seems no one expected the Harry Potter books to be successful. According to Publisher’s Services, the average print run for a newly released book is several thousand. The first Harry Potter book didn’t even have 1,000 copies printed.
Landing the First Contract
Bloomsbury is the publishing house that took a chance on J. K. Rowling, a then unknown novel writer. Bloomsbury is home to a myriad of writers including Patrick McCabe, Laurie Halse Anderson, Shannon Hale, Peter Axt and of course, J. K. Rowling. They publish fiction, non-fiction, children’s literature and audio books. Located in London’s Soho Square, Bloomsbury is a leading independent publisher.
A key action Bloomsbury Publishers will be historically known for is their ability to see “new” talent. Rowling’s agent shopped the first Harry Potter manuscript to other publishers. Those publishers passed on the book. How they must be kicking themselves now. But that’s how it goes. A key to connecting to success often involves trusting how one feels about a person, an offering or a presentation.
Forge Ahead
J. K. Rowling followed an idea. She seized it and didn’t let go. She continues to be rewarded for her actions.
According to The Guardian, Rowling’s current book, The Tales of Beetle the Bard, has sold 2.3 million copies since December 2008.
The BBC notes that her previous book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sold 11 million copies in 24-hours. Rowling’s book have been translated into over 60 languages and sold more than 300 million copies globally. That’s a long way from the book’s initial 200 copy print run.
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