There is almost no greater cliche in publishing than reminding aspiring writers that even Stephen King got rejection letters by the basketful early in his career. But it is still worth repeating.

To that end, here’s a few notable bestsellers that were originally considered unworthy of publication:

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov