WARREN, Ohio – In a recent episode of the “It’s All About the Team” podcast hosted by Jim Tressel, Andy Andrews reflects on his path to becoming a best-selling author, which began not with success but with rejection – a lot of it. Andrews recounts how his first book, “The Traveler’s Gift,” was turned down by 51 publishers over three and a half years, with one rejection after another telling him it wasn’t worth printing.
On his 52nd attempt, Andrews finally landed a one-book deal. The publisher printed 10,000 copies and placed them in bookstores – but six weeks later, not a single book had sold. The copies were returned to the warehouse, and Andrews was told they would eventually be sent to remainder stores and then destroyed.
Refusing to let the story end there, Andrews made a bold decision: He bought back as many copies as he could afford and began giving them away for free – on airplanes, to strangers and to anyone he felt might need the message. “There’s gotta be some value in this,” he said, believing the book would eventually find the right hands.
That grassroots effort sparked a chain reaction. One copy was passed from person to person until it reached Robin Roberts of “Good Morning America.” What followed was a stunning turnaround: “The Traveler’s Gift” was named Book of the Month by “Good Morning America,” and it was later recognized as one of the Top Five Books You Should Read in Your Lifetime.
Andrews now uses the experience as a lesson in perseverance, leadership and purpose – encouraging others to pursue the work they feel called to do, even when the odds say otherwise. “If there’s something you feel led to do,” he says, “get after it.”