Best-Selling Authors of All Time

14 Oct,2023

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Often cited as the greatest writer in the English language and the bane of every high school student’s existence, William Shakespeare has an estimated 4 billion copies of his works in circulation.

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William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616)

Dame Agatha Christie currently holds the title of the world’s best-selling novelist, according to Guiness World Records, as well as the most-translated author in history.

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Agatha Christie (1890 – 1976)

Over the course of her lifetime, Dame Barbara Cartland wrote an astounding 723 books, most of which were romances.

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Barbara Cartland (1901 – 2000)

Since her debut in 1978, Danielle Steel has written 190 books. She’s no stranger to juggling up to five projects per year, and all of her novels have been bestsellers.

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Danielle Steel (1947 – )

Harold Robbins’s rise from clerk to executive at Universal Pictures was already an impressive achievement, but he also went on to write over 25 best-selling books, which sold over 750 million copies in 32 languages.

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Harold Robbins (1916 – 1997)

Georges Simenon was a Belgian author who wrote over 400 novels and numerous short stories. Among his best-known works are his 75 detective novels featuring Jules Maigret. Simenon is the 17th-most-translated author of all time.

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Georges Simenon (1903 – 1989)

Enid Blyton was an English children’s writer whose books have sold over 600 million copies since the 1930s. Her books for children covered a wide range of themes and topics, including education, fantasy, natural history, mystery, and biblical narratives.

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Enid Blyton (1897 – 1968)

Sidney Sheldon got his start writing Broadway plays and Hollywood screenplays, including The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer and I Dream of Jeannie.

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Sidney Sheldon (1917 – 2007)

A novel written on an old typewriter took J.K. Rowling from a struggling single mother to best-selling billionaire status in just a matter of years. Her iconic Harry Potter books have sold over 500 million copies and launched a franchise of films, merchandise, and even amusement parks.

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J.K. Rowling (1965 – )

The king of the dime novel, Gilbert Patten wrote over 75 books and numerous short stories under the pen name Burt L. Standish. He’s best known for penning the popular Frank Merriwell stories, but he also wrote many Western

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Gilbert Patten (1866 – 1945)