Nothing feels better than seeing rejections for hugely successful works. Here we have a rejection letter, passing on The Very Hungry Caterpillar. A glimpse:

“In short, I don’t think the parents of our sensitive readers would appreciate a caterpillar with a face like “The Scream” that revels in obesity and then morphs into an alien species of butterfly. We wish to inspire a great wonder for animals in nature with our published works, as well as to portray them as accurately as feasible. I suggest you take a course in entomology before submitting another such fantastical tale.”

Ouch. But it’s also nice to think about Eric Carle’s brilliant career and remember that even he faced literary rejection. So whatever rejection letters you get, remember that they’re all part of being a writer. Especially if you get super famous someday.