The Most Inspirational Quote From Every Harry Potter Book on the Series' 20-Year Anniversary 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' was published 20 years ago on this day.

By Matthew McCreary

Lisa Maree Williams | Getty Images

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first published by Bloomsbury on June 26, 1997, which officially makes the series 20 years old today.

Getting that first break wasn't easy for author J.K. Rowling. Not only did Rowling get several rejection letters, but she also struggled financially at the time. Sometimes, the rejection and the financial difficulties went hand in hand.

"The first agent I ever queried," Rowling once said, "sent back a slip saying "My list is full. The folder you sent wouldn't fit in the envelope.' I really minded about the folder, because I had almost no money and had to buy another one."

Related: How to Start a Business With (Almost) No Money

Since that difficult start, though, Potter and Rowling have sold hundreds of millions of books and earned billions at the box office. So, if you're looking for a little inspiration or feeling down about your own business idea, consider what Rowling herself said on Twitter about failure: "I pinned my 1st rejection letter to my kitchen wall because it gave me something in common with all my fave writers!"

Start the slideshow for more inspiration from the Harry Potter series.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Related: 11 Habits of Truly Happy People

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Related: Habits of the World's Wealthiest People (Infographic)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Matthew McCreary

Entrepreneur Staff

Associate Editor, Contributed Content

Matthew McCreary is the associate editor for contributed content at Entrepreneur.com.

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