It can be disheartening, the rejection letters and the realisation that self publishing your magnum opus is your only option. But don’t worry, all your hard work may just pay off. Here’s a list of just a few famous writers who used self publishing to get their foot on the publishing ladder.

1. John Grisham

An American lawyer who self published after seeing too many rejection letters. He is now a multi award winning novelist whose books have been made into Blockbuster Hollywood films.

2. Beatrix Potter

Potter first self published ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’ in 1901, before it was taken up by one of the publishers who initially rejected it the next year.

3. E.L. James

Yep, that’s right, the most talked about erotic novel, ‘50 Shades of Grey’, was first self published in e-book form before it took off and became the global hit it is today.

4. Lisa Genova
The author of ‘Still Alice’, a novel about a Harvard professor who is discovers she has early onset Alzheimer’s disease which topped the New York Times Bestseller list for over 40 weeks, originally self published it in order to get it the recognition it deserves.

5. Edgar Allen Poe

One of the most famous American authors of all time, Poe regularly self-published through his time in the army, when he was struggling to support himself financially. His works are now classics, which serves to prove that good writing always triumphs.

Here is real proof that with perseverance and dedication, self publishing can give your career as a writer the boost it needs. So why not get out that manuscript and give it one last polish before you launch it into the world, who knows what you might achieve!