How close did Harry Potter come to never being published?

The answer

J.K. Rowling's manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was rejected by twelve publishers, with reasons including 'too long,' 'children's books about magic don't sell,' and 'not marketable.' The breakthrough came at Bloomsbury Publishing, where chairman Nigel Newton gave the first chapter to his eight-year-old daughter Alice. She devoured it and spent months pestering her father for the rest of the story. Bloomsbury accepted the manuscript but hedged their bets - the first print run was just 500 copies, and Rowling was told to get a day job since she could not make a living writing children's books. Published on June 26, 1997, the series went on to sell over 600 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling book series in history.