I love the story of J.K. Rowling’s rise to fame and fortune!
J.K. was always very imaginative. She wanted to be a writer, but her father encouraged her to choose a more practical career – like being a secretary. Her mother encouraged her to follow her heart.
J.K. Rowling attended the University of Exeter. After graduating, she moved to London, and began working as a researcher and secretary at Amnesty International. Later she moved to Manchester.
In 1990, the idea for the Harry Potter series came to J.K. while she was stuck on a delayed train between Manchester and London. As soon as she got home, she started to write the book.
J.K. Rowling eventually moved to Portugal, where she taught English as a foreign language. She continued to work on her book in her spare time. While she was there she married a local television reporter, and they had a daughter. Unfortunately, the marriage did not last long.
J.K. left Portugal and moved to Edinburgh, Scotland to be near her sister. She saw herself as a failure because she was a divorced, unemployed, single mother who was dependent on welfare benefits. However, J.K. did not waste her time. She focused on her writing.
In 1995, J.K. Rowling finished her manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The book was submitted to twelve publishing houses, all of which rejected the manuscript.
A year later, the book was finally accepted by Bloomsbury, a publishing house in London. In June 1997, Bloomsbury published Philosopher’s Stone, and it won several book awards.
In October 1998, the book was published in the U.S. under the title of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry Potter became a huge commercial success, and a franchise that continues to grow today.
In three years, J.K. Rowling went from being a single mother on welfare to one of the richest women in Great Britain!
It has been estimated that more than 400 million copies of J.K. Rowling’s books have been sold worldwide. Every 30 seconds, someone in the world starts reading a Harry Potter book.
I think the lesson we can learn from J.K. Rowling’s story is that you should follow your heart!