The Steps Experiment
In 1977, Los Angeles freelance writer Chuck Ross submitted a typed manuscript to 14 publishers and 13 literary agents. Ross claimed it was an original work, but in fact it was a freshly typed copy of Jerzy Kosinski's novel Steps, which had won the National Book Award in 1969.
All 27 recipients failed to recognize Kosinski's work, and all 27 rejected the manuscript.
