The Epic Journey of Frank Herbert’s Dune: From Rejection to Literary Triumph

illustration by Andy McNally

The novel originated when Herbert was assigned to write a magazine article about the sand dunes in the Oregon Dunes near Florence, Oregon. He ended up with more material than he needed for the article. The article was never written, but it is the foundation that led to Dune.

sketchnote by Andy McNally

Six Years of Research

Herbert began researching the novel in 1959. Dune took six years of research and writing to complete.

illustration by Andy McNally

Rejection

Dune was initially rejected by more than twenty different publishers.

Car Repair Manual Publisher

The novel was finally published in August 1965 by Chilton Books, a printing company known mainly for publishing auto repair manuals. The book was priced at $5.95, equivalent to $57.94 in 2024, and did not sell well.