Who are some of the best selling authors of all time? Who is the world’s best-selling novelist? It is not easy to become a best-selling author. To be up on that list, your work must be loved by many people, and over a million copies of your books must be sold.
The bestseller lists do just that. Read along to discover some of the best-selling authors of all time that you would love to read.
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Best Selling Authors: Fiction
These are some of the best-selling fiction authors of all time.
1. Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover is an American author who writes in the genre of young adult and romance novels. She has published over 20 books, and 7 of her books are currently featured on the New York Times bestseller list. These are:
- It Ends With Us (2016) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 65 weeks and is currently No. 1. The book has also been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction bestsellers list for 59 weeks and is currently No. 2 on the list. You can get the book here:
- Verity (2018) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 51 weeks and is currently No. 3. The book has also been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction bestsellers list for 34 weeks and is currently No. 3 on the list. You can get the book here:
- Ugly Love (2014) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 53 weeks and is currently No. 4. The book has also been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction bestsellers list for 29 weeks and is currently No. 4 on the list. You can get the book here:
- November 9 (2015) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 37 weeks and is currently No. 6. The book has also been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction bestsellers list for 19 weeks and is currently No. 6.You can get the book here:
- All Your Perfects (2018) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 15 weeks and is currently No. 9. The book has also been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction bestsellers list for 6 weeks and is currently No. 12 on the list. You can get the book here:
- Maybe Someday (2014) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 2 weeks and is currently No. 13.You can get the book here:
- Confess (2015) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 3 weeks and is currently No. 14.You can get the book here:
2. Emily Henry
Emily Henry is an American author. She mostly writes romance novels. 3 of her books are currently featured on the New York Bestsellers list, and they are as follows:
- Book Lovers (2022) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 18 weeks and is currently No. 7. The book has also been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction for 13 weeks and is currently No. 8 on the list. You can get the book here:
- People we Meet on Vacation (2021) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 64 weeks and is currently No. 10. The book has also been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction bestsellers list for 35 weeks and is currently No. 15 on the list. You can get the book here:
- Beach Read (2020) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 48 weeks and is currently No. 12.You can get the book here:
3. Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid is an American author who writes Women’s fiction novels. 2 of her books are currently featured on the New York Bestsellers list, and they are as follows:
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2017) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 73 weeks and is currently No. 5. The book has also been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction bestsellers list for 57 weeks. It is currently No. 5 on the list. You can get the book here:
- Malibu Rising (2021) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 11 weeks and is currently No. 15.You can get the book here:
4. Delia Owens
Delia Owens is an American author who writes Literary fiction novels. Her book Where The Crawdads Sing (2018) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 70 weeks and is currently No. 2. The book has also been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction bestsellers list for 171 weeks and is currently No. 1 on the list.
You can get the book here:
5. Alex Michaelides
Alex Michaelides is a British-Cypriot author who writes Psychological Thriller novels. His book The Silent Patient (2019) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 50 weeks and is currently No. 11 on the list.
You can get the book here:
6. Carley Fortune
Carley Fortune is a Canadian author who writes Romance novels. Her book Every Summer After (2022) has been on the New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction bestsellers list for 8 weeks and is currently No. 8 on the list. The book has also been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction bestsellers list for 7 weeks and is currently No. 10 on the list.
You can get the book here:
7. David Baldacci
David Baldacci is an American writer who writes thrillers and has also written best-selling Children’s books. His book The 6:20 Man (2022) has been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction bestsellers list for 3 weeks and is currently No. 7 on the list. The book has also been on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction bestsellers list for 3 weeks and is currently No. 1 on the list.
You can get the book here:
8. Daniel Silva
Daniel Silva is an American author who writes Thriller and Spy novels. His book Portrait of an Unknown Woman (2022) has been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction bestsellers list for 2 weeks and is currently No. 9 on the list. The book has also been on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction bestsellers list for 2 weeks and is currently No. 2 on the list.
You can get the book here:
9. Elin Hilderbrand
Ellin Hilderbrand is an American author who writes romance novels. Her book The Hotel Nantucket (2022) has been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Fiction bestsellers list for 7 weeks and is currently No. 11 on the list. The book has also been on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction bestsellers list for 7 weeks and is currently No. 3 on the list.
You can get the book here:
10. Stephen King
Stephen King is an American author who writes Horror, Supernatural fiction, Suspense, rime, Sci-Fi & Fantasy novels. Among all the best-selling authors, Stephen King is a one-of-a-kind best-selling author. He has published over 50 books and has never failed to amaze people with his work. He is also considered to be one of the most translated authors. It is estimated that over 300 million copies of his books have sold. Following are 5 of his best-selling books:
- The Shining (1977) has half a million copies sold. You can get the book here:
- Carrie (1974) had over a million copies sold in its first year. You can get the book here:
- ‘Salem’s Lot (1975) has over a million copies sold. You can get the book here:
- Misery (1987) has over a million copies sold. You can get the book here:
- Pet Sematary (1983) has over a million copies sold. You can get the book here:
11. Georges Simenon
Georges Simenon was a Belgian author considered one of the best-selling authors of all time. He mostly wrote Detective novels. And has published over 400 books. Over a million copies of Georges Simenon’s books have sold. Following are 5 of his best-selling books:
- The Judge’s House (1942)You can get the book here:
- The Hanged Man Saint- Pholien (1931)You can get the book here:
- The Yellow Dog (1931)You can get the book here:
- The Carter of ‘La Providence’ (1931)You can get the book here:
- The Dancer at the Gai-Moulin (1931)You can get the book here:
12. Jackie Collins
Jackie Collins was an English writer who wrote romance novels. She wrote 32 novels, out of which all were featured on The New York Times Best Sellers List. Following are 5 of her bestselling novels:
- Chances (1981)You can get the book here:
- Lucky (1985). You can get the book here:
- Lady Boss (1990)You can get the book here:
- The World Is Full Of Married Men (1968)You can get the book here:
- The Power Trip (2012)You can get the book here:
13. Nora Roberts
Nora Roberts is an American author who writes romance novels. Following are 5 of her best–selling books:
- Hideaway (2020)You can get the book here:
- The Next Always (2011)You can get the book here:
- Northern Lights (2004)You can get the book here:
- Legacy (2021)You can get the book here:
- Jewels of the Sun (1999)You can get the book here:
14. James Patterson
James Patterson is an American author who mostly writes Thrillers and Non-fiction. Among all the best-selling authors, James Patterson is a one-of-a-kind best-selling author. He is considered to be one of the best-selling authors of all time. He has published over 150 novels. With millions of his books sold, the following are 5 of his best-selling novels of all time:
- Along Came a Spider (1993). You can get the book here:
- Kiss the Girls (1995)You can get the book here:
- 1st to Die (2001)You can get the book here:
- The Angel Experiment: A Maximum Ride (2005)You can get the book here:
- Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas (2001)You can get the book here:
15. J.K Rowling
J.K. Rowling is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote Harry Potter, A 7-volume children’s fantasy series. The best-selling book of the series is Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone (1997), with an estimated 120 million copies sold.
You can the book here:
16. Gilbert Patten
An American author, Gilbert Patten, wrote the ‘Frank Merriwell’ stories. Estimated sales indicate that his books have sold 129 million copies.
17. Anne Rice
An American author, she wrote Gothic fiction, erotic literature, and Christian literature. One of her best-selling books includes the series The Vampire Chronicles is estimated to have over 80 million copies sold.
You can get the first book of the series, Interview with the Vampire, here:
18. William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is considered to be one of the most established authors of classic works in the English language. William Shakespeare wrote over 42 books, and the maximum estimated sales amount to about 4 billion books sold. Following are his most famous works:
- Hamlet, You can get the book here:
- Romeo and Juliet, You can get the book here:
- Macbeth, You can get the book here:
19. Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie was a British author of 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections. Her works are estimated to have 4 billion books sold.
You can get her books here:
20. Danielle Steel
Danielle Steel is an American author of general fiction and romance. It is estimated that her works have sold 800 million copies.
You can get her books here:
Non-fiction
These are some of the best-selling authors of non-fiction of all time.
1. Bessel van der Kolk
Bessel van der Kolk is a Dutch-American psychiatrist, author, researcher, and educator. His book The Body Keeps the Score (2014) has been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Non-fiction bestsellers list for 101 weeks and is currently No. 1 on the list. The book has also been on the New York Times Paperback Non-fiction bestsellers list for 197 weeks and is currently No. 1 on the list.
You can get the book here:
2. Robin Wall Kimmerer
Robin Wall Kimmerer is an American author and professor. Her book Braiding Sweetgrass (2013) has been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Non-fiction bestsellers list for 47 weeks and is currently No. 6 on the list. The book has also been on the New York Times Paperback Non-fiction bestsellers list for 120 weeks and is currently No. 2 on the list.
You can get the book here:
3. David Sedaris
David Sedaris is an American author, humorist, comedian & radio contributor. His book Happy-Go-Lucky (2022) has been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Non-fiction bestsellers list for 9 weeks and is currently No. 3 on the list. The book has also been on the New York Times Hardcover Non-fiction bestsellers list for 9 weeks and is currently No. 2 on the list.
You can get the book here:
4. Viola Davis
Viola Davis is an American author, actress, and producer. Her book Finding Me (2022) has been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Non-fiction bestsellers list for 14 weeks and is currently No. 4 on the list. The book has also been on the New York Times Hardcover Non-fiction bestsellers list for 14 weeks and is currently No. 1 on the list.
You can get the book here:
5. Mark Leibovich
Mark Leibovich is an American writer and journalist. His book Thank You For Your Servitude (2022) has been on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Non-fiction bestseller list for 3 weeks and is currently No. 5 on the list. The book has also been on the New York Times Hardcover Non-fiction bestsellers list for 3 weeks and is currently No. 6 on the list.
You can get the book here:
Dear Readers! We have listed 25 of the best-selling authors of all time who have sold millions of copies of their books. Read along and tell us which author you enjoy reading the most!
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