My mom sent me this article, saying she thought I would appreciate it. And I do. Here’s a guy, Dick Wimmer, whose first novel, Irish Wine, was rejected 162 freaking times over 25 freaking years before it was finally published in 1989. He laid claim to being history’s most-rejected novelist, with his closest competitor being Steven Goldberg whose The Inevitability of Patriarchy was sold after 69 rejections–a Guiness Book World Record at the time.
What’s most encouraging about Wimmer’s publication of his repeatedly-rejected book is that the New York Times raved about it. This just goes to show that agents and publishers don’t always know what’s “good.” Maybe none of us do. The Times called the book, “a taut, finely written, exhaustingly exuberant first novel.” Most writers would kill for that kind of review. The Los Angeles Times continued the praise, comparing his style to James freaking Joyce.
Have I said “freaking” enough in this post yet? Probably.
What’s also encouraging is that Wimmer went on to continue writing. And he dared to write sequels to his first book — Boyne’s Lassie and Hagar’s Dream. And he took up teaching creative writing — at 28 colleges over the last four decades. Oh, and he also edited a number of well-regarded nonfiction books.
I would say he was a success.
Dick Wimmer passed away a few days ago, at the age of 74. I’m not sure what it says on his tombstone, but I hope it says, “Published author.”