In his early 20s, before he’d written a single play, Shaw tried his hand at writing novels—most of which failed utterly. His first novel, aptly titled Immaturity (1879), was rebuffed by every publisher in London. His next four novels met similar receptions, and all but Immaturity were printed serially, in the socialist periodicals To-Day and Our Corner after publishing houses rejected them.

In 1882, Shaw began a new novel, Cashel Byron’s Profession, which follows the career of a prize-fighter. The novel examined the ‘immoral’ profession of boxing and its effect on the hero’s romantic relationship with the millionaire heroine. After seven rejections, the novel was serialized in 1885-6 and published in book form from the magazine plates in 1886.