Writing bestseller books is a topic than can’t be contained in just one post.
I blog about how some authors use a formula and/or an algorithm to write bestsellers here, and how they achieve bestseller status here. But for the purpose of this particular post, I share who has written the most renowned bestsellers and bestselling series.
A bestseller is on the list of top-selling books according to the publishing industry trade figures, library circulation, Amazon and Barnes & Noble sales, Nielsen BookScan data, the UK’s BNC SalesData, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Indie Bestseller lists — all with various methods used for calculating sales (some of it guarded).
Bestsellers are often categorized by fiction, nonfiction, hardcover, and paperback, and some run in series such as Chicken Soup for the Soul which has sold 130 million books. Fortunately for me, two of my stories were included in two separate books in this series.
“I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.”
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Writing Bestseller Books — Do Some Research
From children’s books to major motion picture movies
Study recognizable titles and authors to get a sense of why these particular books are so immensely popular.
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, Watership Down by Richard Adams, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, What to Expect When You’re Expecting by Arlene Eisenberg and Heidi Murkoff, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, A Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin — all are tremendous bestsellers.
It doesn’t hurt at all to surf for popular books and delve into the author’s background, writing style, inspiration, and even advice.
Much has been written and shared about successful projects that yield high book sales and fan followings. Study online resources so that writing your own bestseller books may seem less daunting, and you may feel better equipped to thoughtfully layout a premise and follow through with the best possible manuscript.
“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”
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Writing Advice
You may have noticed that I quote C. S. Lewis throughout this post. He’s one of my favorite authors. I found a great article published in the Gospel Coalition regarding his advice on how to write at your best level.
“It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new onetill you have read an old one in between.”
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I also like an article by Chuck Sambuchino in Writer’s Digest that shares some practical advice about writing — but also the nuts and bolts of great book cover design and other essentials.
Need Help with Your Manuscript?
I’m an email away. Contact me at melaniesaxton@icloud.com, and let’s get started!