The blockbuster authors who can write no wrong
They’ve sold millions of books but these driven giants of the literary — authors such as James Paterson, Danielle Steel and Stephen King — world will never rest on their laurels. These are the secrets to their success.
EVERYONE thinks they have a novel in them, but 30? These blockbuster authors not only penned bestsellers, but have continued to do so for decades. Most of them bring out a book a year, working fast and hard — with a few admitting to using
co-authors.
“I made writing my priority, and I turned down just about everything else. For about 30 years, I never had lunch with friends,” Danielle Steel has revealed.
“I write until I damn near drop,” John le Carre, 87, agrees. “The price I/we pay is that we have lost almost all our friends,” he said.
Authors who guarantee sales because of their name are crucial to the publishing industry, but their continuing success can make it difficult for newcomers to break through. Advances have diminished, the era of huge fees for first novels long gone. Most new authors can expect to receive a $10,000 advance, although the lucky few still score six-figure deals. And they need to shift thousands of copies to receive any royalties.
At least Stephen King cares — this week it was revealed he saved local book reviews from being axed in his regional newspaper, using Twitter to get the Maine publication 200 new subscribers in order to fund it.
Here’s how the best of the sellers do it …
STEPHEN KING, 71
350 million novels sold over 45 years
Known for: Horror stories including Carrie, The Shining and It
His secret: American author Stephen King published his first novel Carrie, in 1974, while working as a teacher. It was an instant bestseller. He writes his first draft in three months. “Once I start work on a project, I don’t stop, and I don’t slow down unless I absolutely have to,” he said. He gets ideas from “everywhere” — there was a pet cemetery near his home in Maine and his family were once the only guests at Colorado’s Stanley Hotel, during which he had a nightmare about his son being chased down a corridor. He has penned 200 short stories and just published his 60th novel, Elevation.
DANIELLE STEEL, 71
800 million novels sold over 46 years
Known for: Glitzy romantic dramas such as Jewels, Secrets and The Gift
Her secret: With 146 novels to her name, American author Danielle Steel has been a permanent fixture on the New York Times Bestseller lists since she debuted with Going Home in 1973.
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