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How to Become a Bestselling Author

This guide about how to become a bestselling author reveals the 7 Steps to Becoming a Bestselling Author. It also includes an FAQ, with answers to the most common questions about becoming a bestselling author. Diverse writers of all backgrounds and genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books) have used these strategies to become successful.

This guide was created by a former literary agent who’s helped 400+ authors get literary agents and/or traditional publishers. Mark Malatesta has worked with bestselling authors for decades—as a literary agent, author coach and consultant, and Marketing & Licensing Manager for the book and gift publisher Blue Mountain Arts. Here you can see Mark Malatesta reviews.

Click here to see our:

• Become a Bestselling Author FAQ
• 7 Steps to Becoming a Bestselling Author
• Bestselling Author Interviews

7 Steps to Becoming a Bestselling Author

Whether you want to become a New York Times bestselling author, or, simply, the bestselling author you can be, these seven steps will help. Some authors are born with a gift for writing; many aren’t. You don’t need to be an English major, get a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree, or have an official “writer education.” You need to understand what makes a bestselling book, and how others have become bestselling authors.

You’ve probably read books published by traditional publishers that didn’t deserve to be published. You’re also likely aware that, because of the daunting odds of getting a literary agent, many worthwhile books aren’t published. The positive part of that reality is that authors writing any and all book genres—writers of all backgrounds and abilites—can increase their chances of becoming bestselling authors by understanding and applying the following.

Step 1: Read (Consciously)

It’s difficult or impossible to become a bestselling author without reading. Not just bestselling books—all types of books. One of the requirements for writing a bestselling book is a concept and/or content that are unique. Reading books in and out of your genre will help you create a book that stands out to literary agents, publishers, and book browsers. And, don’t just read; do so consciously. If your goal is to become a bestselling author, you can’t just read for pleasure. Don’t lose yourself in an author’s style or story. As you read, try to deconstruct what the author did, how they did it, and why they did it.

Step 2: Study the Craft of Writing

Most writers who want to become bestselling authors don’t invest enough time studying the craft of writing. There’s only so much you can see, understand, and apply as a result of  reading books like those you plan to publish. You should also learn via articles, books, courses, and classes about the craft of writing. Doing so will descrease the time it takes you to write your books, it will improve the quality of your first drafts, and it will improve the quality of your final drafts. You’ll also enjoy the writing journey more, as you’ll have more clarity, control, and confidence along the way. No matter what your genre is, there are resources related to your craft that will increase your odds of becoming a bestselling author.

Step 3: Write—and Rewrite

Many authors focus too much on the amount of writing they’ve done. It’s important to invest a lot of time producing content, but it’s equally mporant to invest a lot of time refining your content. Volume and quality aren’t the same. Many bestselling authors say they spend more time rewriting than writing, that their first drafts are usually fast and easy—compared to the time, patience, and persistence required to produce a polished final draft. Writing ten books in ten years won’t make you a bestselling author, if those ten books are all rough drafts, and you’re not improving from one book to the next. Writing is rewriting.

Step 4: Study the Business of Writing

Even if you’re a introverted writer or artist, fully committed to being authentic and “in your creative flow,” you can become a bestselling author. Just make room for your “inner CEO.” In other words, think of yourself as artist and entrepreneur: 49% creative, 51% CEO. Your goal might not be for your writing to support you financially (like a business), but it’s best to treat your writing like a business (at least in some respects). For example: be consistent, stick to deadlines, be open to suggestions for improvement, and invest in your writing financially to make it better and more impactful. Your writing might have started as a hobby, but if you continue to view it that way, it will stay a hobby.

Step 5: Improve Your Writer Platform or Profile

You don’t need to be a celebrity or have a million social media followers to become a bestselling author. However, writers of all genres should understand what a platform or profile in writing is. They should also have at least one social media acount before writing a query letter for literary agents. Nonfiction authors (ideally) should be somewhat recognized as experts in their niche with connections in their network. Other things that can help (also mainly for nonfiction authors) include: a website; an email list and/or postal mail list; speaking experience; articles or stories broadcast or published about you and/or your work; and commitments from influencers who’ve expressed a willingness to accept a review copy of your book, with an eye toward helping promote it somehow when it’s published.

Step 6: Case Studies

One of the best ways to expedite the process of becoming a bestselling author is to look at case studies for information and inspiration that will help you. In other words, you should look at successful authors—including those writing in your genre—talking about how they got a literary agent. This step, like all the others listed above, will help you avoid stress and mistakes, and be more efficient. Writing books, query letters, synopses, book proposals, takes a lot of time. So does building your writer platform or profile. Having a theoretical understanding of what it takes to become a bestselling author is empowering; seeing how writers have applied that understanding is equally empowering.

Step 7: Create a Team

Most bestselling authors say they did everything above—and got help. You might become successful doing all the steps above independently, but it’s less likely and will take longer. And, even if you could do everything yourself, wouldn’t you rather spend more time writing, and less time struggling to figure things out the hard way? There are coaches and consultants for everything you need: writing, editing, developing your platform, and getting a literary agent. Again, the more important your writing is to you, the more you should be willing to treat it like a business.

Bestselling Author Interviews

MARY HIGGINS CLARK is the #1 NYTimes bestselling author of 50+ novels, recognized and celebrated internationally for her 40+ years as the Queen of Suspense. Press the play button below for Mary’s advice (30 minutes) about how to become a bestselling author.

NELSON DEMILLE is the #1 NY Times bestselling author of many novels including The Gold Coast, The General’s Daughter, Spencerville, Plum Island, and The Lion’s Game. Press the play button below for Nelson’s advice (37 minutes) about how to become a bestselling author.

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DIANA GABALDON is the author of the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novel and TV series Outlander. Press the play button below for Diana’s advice (41 minutes) about how to become a bestselling author.

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DAVID BALDACCI is a #1 New York Times bestselling author with more than 100 million books in print, in 45 languages and 80+ countries. Press the play button below for David’s advice (30 minutes) about how to become a bestselling author.

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CJ LYONS is a former pediatric ER doctor turned New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-one novels, including the popular Lucy Guardino Series. Press the play button below for CJ’s advice (47 minutes) about how to become a bestselling author.

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HOMER HICKAM is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Rocket Boys, which Universal Studios adapted into the critically acclaimed feature film, October Sky. Press the play button below for Homer’s advice (39 minutes) about how to become a bestselling author.

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AMY HARMON is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author of From Sand and Ash, The Bird and the Sword, and Making Faces. Press the play button below for Amy’s advice (52 minutes) about how to become a bestselling author.

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ANDY WEIR is a New York Times bestselling author whose debut novel, The Martian, was adapted into a motion picture of the same name directed by Ridley Scott. Press the play button below for Andy’s advice (37 minutes) about how to become a bestselling author.

Conclusion – How to Become a Bestselling Author

Becoming a bestselling author is about more than just writing a great book—it’s about creating a connection with your audience, understanding the market, and executing a strategic plan. While the path to success is challenging, with persistence, quality storytelling, and effective promotion, you can reach bestseller status and leave a lasting impact on readers. And, now that you’ve read this FAQ and guide about how to become a bestselling author, click here to read more about what a bestselling author really is.

The Bestselling Author, LLC

Established in 2011, The Bestselling Author has helped 400+ authors get literary agents and/or traditional publishers. Writers who’ve worked with Literary Agent Undercover, a division of The Bestselling Author, have gotten six-figure book deals; been on the New York Times bestseller list; had their books adapted for TV, stage, and feature film; had their work licensed in 40+ countries; and sold many millions of books.

Notable authors include Nelson Johnson, author of Boardwalk Empire, which Martin Scorsese produced for HBO; Leslie Lehr, author of A Boob’s Life, which is currently being adapted for an HBO Max TV series by Salma Hayek; and Scott LeRette, author of The Unbreakable Boy, which was published by Thomas Nelson and is now a major motion picture by Lionsgate starring Patricia Heaton, Zachary Levi, and Amy Acker.

The founder of The Bestselling Author, Mark Malatesta, is a former literary agent, literary agency owner, AAR member, and Marketing & Licensing Manager for the gift and book publisher Blue Mountain Arts. He is now an author coach and consultant. Click here to see Mark Malatesta reviews.