This page provides lists of best-selling books and book series to date and in any language. "Best-selling" refers to the estimated number of copies sold of each book, rather than the number of books printed or currently owned. Comics and textbooks are not included in this list. The books are listed according to the highest sales estimate as reported in reliable, independent sources.
According to Guinness World Records , as of 1995, the Bible was the best-selling book of all time, with an estimated 5 billion copies sold and distributed. [1] Sales estimates for other printed religious texts include at least 800 million copies for the Qur'an and 200 million copies for the Book of Mormon. [2] Also, a single publisher has produced more than 162.1 million copies of the Bhagavad Gita. The total number could be much higher considering the widespread distribution and publications by ISKCON.The ISKCON has distributed about 503.39 million Bhagavad Gita since 1965. [3] [4] Among non-religious texts, the Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung , also known as the Little Red Book, has produced a wide array of sales and distribution figures—with estimates ranging from 800 million [1] to over 6.5 billion printed volumes. [5] Some claim the distribution ran into the "billions" [6] and some cite "over a billion" official volumes between 1966 and 1969 alone as well as "untold numbers of unofficial local reprints and unofficial translations". [7] [8] Exact print figures for these and other books may also be missing or unreliable since these kinds of books may be produced by many different and unrelated publishers, in some cases over many centuries. All books of a religious, ideological, philosophical or political nature have thus been excluded from the lists of best-selling books below for these reasons.
Many books lack comprehensive sales figures as book selling and reselling figures prior to the introduction of point of sale equipment was based on the estimates of book sellers, publishers or the authors themselves. For example, one of the one volume Harper Collins editions of The Lord of the Rings was recorded to have sold only 967,466 copies in the UK by 2009 (the source does not cite the start date), [9] but at the same time the author's estate claimed global sales figures of in excess of 150 million. Accurate figures are only available from the 1990s[ citation needed ] and in western nations such as US, UK, Canada and Australia, although figures from the US are available from the 1940s. Further, e-books have not been included as out of copyright texts are often available free in this format. Examples of books with claimed high sales include The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, [10] Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, [11] Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en [12] and The Lord of the Rings [13] (which has been sold as both a three volume series, The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers , and The Return of the King , as a single combined volume and as a six volume set in a slipcase) by J. R. R. Tolkien. Hence, in cases where there is too much uncertainty, they are excluded from the list.
Having sold more than 600 million copies worldwide, [14] Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling is the best-selling book series in history. The first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone , has sold in excess of 120 million copies, [15] making it one of the best-selling books of all time. As of June 2017, the series has been translated into 85 languages, [16] placing Harry Potter among history's most translated literary works. The last four books in the series consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books of all time, and the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , sold roughly fifteen million copies worldwide within twenty-four hours of its release. [17] [18] With twelve million books printed in the first US run, it also holds the record for the highest initial print run for any book in history. [19] [20]
Nonfiction
Book | Author(s) | Original language | First published | Approximate sales | Genre |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A Tale of Two Cities | Charles Dickens | English | 1859 | >200 million [21] | Historical fiction |
The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) | Antoine de Saint-Exupéry | French | 1943 | 200 million [22] [23] [24] | Fantasy, children's fiction |
The Alchemist (O Alquimista) | Paulo Coelho | Portuguese | 1988 | 150 million [25] [26] | Fantasy |
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | J. K. Rowling | English | 1997 | 120 million [27] [28] | Fantasy, children's fiction |
And Then There Were None | Agatha Christie | English | 1939 | 100 million [29] | Mystery |
Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓夢) | Cao Xueqin | Chinese | 1791 | 100 million [30] [31] | Family saga |
The Hobbit | J. R. R. Tolkien | English | 1937 | 100 million [32] [33] [34] | Fantasy, children's fiction |
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Lewis Carroll | English | 1865 | 100 million [35] | Fantasy, absurdist fiction |
Book series | Author(s) | Original language | No. of installments | Years of Publication | Approximate sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Harry Potter | J. K. Rowling | English | 7 + 3 companion books + 4 scripts | 1997–2007 | 600 million [14] [193] [194] |
Goosebumps | R. L. Stine | English | 62 + spin-off series | 1992–present | 400 million [195] |
Perry Mason | Erle Stanley Gardner | English | 82 + 4 short stories | 1933–1973 | 300 million [196] |
Diary of a Wimpy Kid | Jeff Kinney | English | 19 + 5 spin-offs | 2007–present | 290 million [197] |
Berenstain Bears | Stan and Jan Berenstain | English | 428 | 1962–present | 260 million [198] |
Choose Your Own Adventure | Various authors | English | 185+ | 1979–present | 250 million [199] |
Sweet Valley High | Francine Pascal and ghostwriters | English | 400 | 1983–2003 | 250 million [200] |
The Railway Series | Rev. W. Awdry, Christopher Awdry | English | 42 | 1945–2011 | 201 million [201] |
Noddy | Enid Blyton | English | 24 | 1949–present | 200 million [202] |
Nancy Drew | Various authors as Carolyn Keene | English | 175 | 1930–present | 200 million [203] |
San-Antonio | Frédéric Dard | French | 173 | 1949–2001 | 200 million [204] |
Robert Langdon | Dan Brown | English | 5 | 2000–present | 200 million [205] |
Geronimo Stilton | Elisabetta Dami | Italian | 200+ | 1997–present | 180 million [206] |
Percy Jackson & the Olympians | Rick Riordan | English | 7 + 5 companion books + 4 spin-off series | 2005–present | 180 million [207] |
The Baby-sitters Club | Ann Martin | English | 335 | 1986–present | 172 million [208] |
Twilight | Stephenie Meyer | English | 4 + 2 companion books + 1 novella | 2005–2020 | 160 million [209] |
Star Wars | Various authors | English | over 300 | 1977–present | 160 million [210] |
Little Critter | Mercer Mayer | English | over 200 | 1975–present | 150 million [211] |
Peter Rabbit | Beatrix Potter | English | 6 | 1902–1930 | 150 million [212] |
Fifty Shades | E. L. James | English | 3 | 2011–2015 | 150 million [213] |
American Girl | Various authors | English | 141 + spin-off series | 1986–present | 160 million [214] |
Chicken Soup for the Soul | Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen | English | 105 | 1997–present | 130 million [215] |
Clifford the Big Red Dog | Norman Bridwell | English | over 80 [216] | 1963–2014 | 129 million [217] |
Frank Merriwell | Gilbert Patten | English | 209 | 1896–1936 | 125 million [218] |
Dirk Pitt | Clive Cussler | English | 24 | 1973–present | 120 million [219] |
宮本武蔵 ( Musashi ) | Eiji Yoshikawa | Japanese | 7 | 1935–1939 | 120 million [220] |
The Chronicles of Narnia | C. S. Lewis | English | 7 | 1950–1956 | 120 million [221] |
Mr. Men | Roger Hargreaves, Adam Hargreaves | English | 43 | 1971–present | 120 million [222] |
SAS | Gérard de Villiers | French | 200 | 1965–2013 | 120 million [223] [224] |
The Hunger Games | Suzanne Collins | English | 4 | 2008–present | 100 million [225] |
James Bond | Ian Fleming | English | 14 | 1953–1966 | 100 million [226] |
Martine | Gilbert Delahaye, Marcel Marlier | French | 60 | 1954–2014 | 100 million [227] |
Millennium | Stieg Larsson, David Lagercrantz | Swedish | 6 | 2005–present | 100 million [228] |
Book series | Author(s) | Original language | No. of installments | First published | Approximate sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A Song of Ice and Fire | George R. R. Martin | English | 5 + 3 novellas + 1 guide | 1996–present | 90 million [229] |
The Wheel of Time | Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson | English | 15 | 1990–2013 | 100 million [230] |
Discworld | Terry Pratchett | English | 42 | 1983–2015 | 90 million [231] |
Nijntje ( Miffy ) | Dick Bruna | Dutch | 119 | 1955–present | 85 million [232] |
Alex Cross | James Patterson | English | 21 | 1993–present | 81 million [233] |
Anpanman (アンパンマン) | Takashi Yanase | Japanese | 150 picture books | 1973–2013 | 80 million [234] |
Captain Underpants | Dav Pilkey | English | 12 plus spinoffs | 1997–2015 | 80 million [235] |
Fear Street | R. L. Stine | English | 114 | 1989–present | 80 million [236] |
Pippi Långstrump ( Pippi Longstocking ) | Astrid Lindgren | Swedish | 3 + 3 picture books | 1945–2001 | 80 million [237] |
The Vampire Chronicles | Anne Rice | English | 13 | 1976–2021 | 80 million [238] |
OSS 117 | Jean Bruce | French | 265 | 1949–1992 | 75 million [239] |
Winnie-the-Pooh | A. A. Milne; illustrated by E. H. Shepard | English | 2 | 1926–1928 | 70 million [240] |
Magic Tree House series | Mary Pope Osborne | English | 56 [241] | 1992–present | 70 million [242] |
Left Behind | Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins | English | 16 | 1996–2007 | 65 million [243] |
A Series of Unfortunate Events | Lemony Snicket aka Daniel Handler | English | 13 | 1999–2006 | 65 million [244] |
Little House on the Prairie | Laura Ingalls Wilder | English | 12 | 1932–2006 | 60 million [245] |
All Creatures Great and Small | Alf Wight, as James Herriot | English | 8 | 1970–1992 | 60 million [246] |
Jack Reacher | Lee Child | English | 29 Novels + 21 Short Stories | 1997–present | 60 million [247] |
The Magic School Bus | Joanna Cole, illustrated by Bruce Degen | English | 131 | 1986–2010 | 58 million [248] |
Where's Wally? [249] | Martin Handford | English | 13 | 1987–present | 55 million [250] |
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus | John Gray | English | 15 | 1992–present | 50 million [251] |
The Hardy Boys | Various authors as Franklin W. Dixon | English | 190 | 1927–present | 50 million [252] |
The Bobbsey Twins | Various authors as Laura Lee Hope | English | 72 | 1904–1979 | 50 million [253] |
Tarzan | Edgar Rice Burroughs | English | 26 | 1914–1995 | 50 million [254] |
Book series | Author(s) | Original language | No. of installments | First published | Approximate sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Shadowhunter Chronicles | Cassandra Clare | English | 14 + 8 companion books | 2007–present | 50 million [255] |
Earth's Children | Jean M. Auel | English | 6 | 1980–2011 | 45 million [256] |
A Child's First Library of Learning | Various authors | English | 29 | 1980– | 45 million [257] |
Junie B. Jones | Barbara Park | English | 30 | 1992–2013 | 44 million [258] |
Harry Bosch | Michael Connelly | English | 15 | 1992– | 42 million [259] |
Harry Hole | Jo Nesbø | Norwegian | 13 | 1997–present | 40 million [260] |
Warriors | Erin Hunter | English | 78 | 2003–present | 40 million [261] |
连环画 铁道游击队 (Picture-and-story book Railway Guerilla ) | original author: Liu Zhixia [ zh ] | Chinese | 10 | 1955–1962 | 36.52 million [262] |
かいけつゾロリ ( Kaiketsu Zorori ) | Yutaka Hara | Japanese | 60 | 1987–present | 35 million [263] |
Paddington Bear | Michael Bond | English | 70 | 1958–present | 35 million [264] |
Animorphs | K A Applegate and ghostwriters | English | 54 | 1996-2001 | 35 million [265] |
Divergent trilogy | Veronica Roth | English | 3 + 1 companion book | 2011–2013 | 35 million [266] |
ノンタン ( Nontan ) | Sachiko Kiyono | Japanese | 40 | 1976–2016 | 33.6 million [267] |
グイン・サーガ ( Guin Saga ) | Kaoru Kurimoto, Yu Godai | Japanese | 149 | 1979–2024 | 33 million [268] |
The Inheritance Cycle | Christopher Paolini | English | 5 + 1 companion book | 2002–2023 | 33 million [269] |
Rich Dad, Poor Dad | Robert Kiyosaki, Sharon Lechter | English | 18 | 1997– | 32 million [270] |
とある魔術の禁書目録 ( Toaru Majutsu no Index ) | Kazuma Kamachi | Japanese | 46 | 2004– | 30 million [271] |
徳川家康 [ ja ] ( Tokugawa Ieyasu ) | Sōhachi Yamaoka | Japanese | 26 | 1950–1967 | 30 million [272] |
Ramona | Beverly Cleary | English | 8 | 1955–1999 | 30 million [273] |
The Dark Tower | Stephen King | English | 8 | 1982–2012 | 30 million [274] |
Dork Diaries | Rachel Renée Russell | English | 15 | 2009–2018 | 30 million [275] |
The Destroyer | Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir, various authors | English | 150 | 1971–present | 30 million [276] |
Book series | Author(s) | Original language | No. of installments | First published | Approximate sales | Genre |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
地球往事 ( Remembrance of Earth's Past ) | Liu Cixin | Chinese | 3 | 2008–2010 | 29 million [277] | science fiction |
三毛猫ホームズシリーズ [ ja ] ( Calico Cat Holmes series ) | Jirō Akagawa | Japanese | 43 | 1978–present | 28 million [278] | detective, mystery |
Curious George | Hans Augusto Rey and Margret Rey | English | 58 | 1941–present | 27 million [279] | Children's Literature |
Shannara | Terry Brooks | English | 20 | 1977–present | 26 million [280] | |
Kurt Wallander | Henning Mankell | Swedish | 10 | 1991–2002 | 25 million [281] | |
Sagan om Isfolket ( The Legend of the Ice People ) | Margit Sandemo | Swedish | 47 | 1982–1989 | 25 million [282] | |
The Sword of Truth | Terry Goodkind | English | 21 | 1998–present | 25 million [283] | |
Outlander | Diana Gabaldon | English | 8 | 1991–present | 25 million [284] | |
ズッコケ三人組 [ ja ] ( Zukkoke Sanningumi ) | Masamoto Nasu | Japanese | 50 | 1978–2004 | 25 million [285] | Children's Literature |
鬼平犯科帳 ( Onihei Hankachō ) | Shōtarō Ikenami | Japanese | 24 | 1968–1990 | 24.4 million, only bunkobon [286] | jidaigeki |
Brain Quest | Various authors | English | 1992–present | 23.7 million [287] | ||
South Beach Diet | Arthur Agatston | English | 6 | 2003–present | 22 million [288] | |
ソードアート・オンライン ( Sword Art Online ) | Reki Kawahara | Japanese | 27 | 2009–present | 30 million [289] | |
竜馬がゆく [ ja ] ( Ryoma ga Yuku ) | Ryōtarō Shiba | Japanese | 5 | 1963–1966 | 21.5 million [290] | jidaigeki |
Artemis Fowl | Eoin Colfer | English | 8 + 1 companion book | 2001–2012 | 21 million [291] | |
The Cosmere | Brandon Sanderson | English | 30+ [292] | 2005–present | 21 Million [293] | |
Dune series | Frank Herbert | English | 30+ | 1965 | 20 million [122] | Science fiction novel |
I Survived | Lauren Tarshis | English | 25 | 2010–2020 | more than 20 million [294] [295] | |
Découvertes Gallimard | Various authors | French | more than 700 | 1986–present | more than 20 million [296] [297] | |
Redwall | Brian Jacques | English | 22 | 1986–2011 | 20 million [298] | |
Maisy | Lucy Cousins | English | 23 | 1990–present | 20 million [136] | |
Dragonlance | Various authors | English | more than 150 | 1984–present | 20 million [299] | |
幻魔大戦 ( Genma Taisen ) | Kazumasa Hirai | Japanese | 20 | 1979–1983 | 20 million [300] | |
青春の門 ( The Gate of Youth ) | Hiroyuki Itsuki | Japanese | 1970–present | 20 million [301] | ||
スレイヤーズ ( Slayers ) | Hajime Kanzaka | Japanese | 50 | 1989–present | 20 million [302] | |
The Foundation Trilogy | Isaac Asimov | English | 3 [303] | 1950–1953 | 20 million [304] | |
Horrible Histories | Terry Deary | English | 24 | 1993–present | 20 million [305] | |
Rainbow Magic | Daisy Meadows | English | 80+ | 2003–present | 20 million [306] | |
Morgan Kane | Louis Masterson | Norwegian | 90 | 1966– | 20 million [307] | |
The Southern Vampire Mysteries | Charlaine Harris | English | 13 | 2001–2013 | 20 million [308] |
Book series | Author(s) | Original language | No. of instalments | First published | Approximate sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Doc Savage | Lester Dent, various authors | English | 203 | 1933–present | 20 million [309] |
涼宮ハルヒシリーズ ( Haruhi Suzumiya Series ) | Nagaru Tanigawa | Japanese | 11 | 2003–present | 20 million [310] |
一億人の昭和史 (1-oku nin no Shōwa shi / Shōwa History of 100 million people) | Tomiyasu Takahara, Various authors | Japanese | 95 | 1975-1980 | 19 million [311] |
科学のアルバム (Kagaku no album / Science's Album) | Various authors | Japanese | 1970–present | 19 million [312] | |
剣客商売 ( Kenkaku Shōbai ) | Shotaro Ikenami | Japanese | 18 | 1972–1989 | 18 million [313] |
Erast Fandorin series | Boris Akunin | Russian | 12 | 1998–present | 18 million [314] |
Dragonriders of Pern | Anne McCaffrey | English | 23 | 1967–present | 18 million [315] |
吸血鬼ハンターD ( Vampire Hunter D ) | Hideyuki Kikuchi | Japanese | 39 | 1983–present | 17 million [316] |
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | Douglas Adams, plus a final book by Eoin Colfer | English | 6 | 1979–2008 | 16 million [317] [318] |
ぼくらシリーズ [ ja ] (Bokura series) | Osamu Soda | Japanese | 36 | 1985–present | 15 million [319] |
Bridget Jones | Helen Fielding | English | 3 | 1996–present | 15 million [320] |
His Dark Materials | Philip Pullman | English | 3 | 1995–2000 | 15 million [321] |
銀河英雄伝説 ( Legend of the Galactic Heroes ) | Yoshiki Tanaka | Japanese | 14 | 1982–1989 | 15 million [322] |
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency | Alexander McCall Smith | English | 23 | 1999–present | 15 million [323] |
Der Regenbogenfisch ( Rainbow Fish ) | Marcus Pfister | German | 1992–present | 15 million [324] | |
The Riftwar Cycle | Raymond E. Feist | English | 25 | 1982–present | 15 million [325] |
The Thrawn trilogy | Timothy Zahn | English | 3 | 1991–93 | 15 million [326] |
Wiedźmin ( The Witcher ) | Andrzej Sapkowski | Polish | 9 | 1990–2013 | 15 million [327] |
14ひきのシリーズ [ ja ] (The family of fourteen) | Kazuo Iwamura [ ja ] | Japanese | 1983-present | 15 million [328] |
The Perry Rhodan series has sold more than 1 billion copies, [329] but is not listed because that figure includes magazine sales, not novels alone.[ citation needed ] Similarly, the Jerry Cotton series has sold over 300 million copies and the John Sinclair series sold more than 250 million copies, but most of these were also in dime novel format. [330] [331] [332] [333]
The figures given for some books are for the number printed instead of confirmed sales.[ which? ]
Book | Author(s) | Original language | First published | Approximate sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
新华字典 (Xinhua Zidian / Xinhua Dictionary) | Chief editor: Wei Jiangong | Chinese | 1957 | 567 million [334] |
Scouting for Boys | Robert Baden-Powell | English | 1908 | 100–150 million [335] |
The McGuffey Readers | William Holmes McGuffey | English | 1853 | 125 million [336] |
Guinness World Records (published every year) | Various authors | English | 1955 | 115 million [337] |
六星占術によるあなたの運命 (Rokusei Senjutsu (Six-Star Astrology) Tells Your Fortune) | Kazuko Hosoki Kaori Hosoki | Japanese | 1986 | 101.2 million [338] |
American Spelling Book (Webster's Dictionary) | Noah Webster | English | 1783 | 100 million [48] |
Book | Author(s) | Original language | First published | Approximate sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
World Almanac (published every year) | Various authors | English | 1868–76; 1886–present | 82 million [339] [340] |
Betty Crocker Cookbook | General Mills staff | English | 1950–2016 (12th edition) | 75 million [341] |
Tung Shing (Chinese :通勝) | Choi Park Lai's family, among others | Chinese | 1891(Only counting versions published by Choi's family) | >70 million (Only counting version published by Choi) [342] |
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary | Merriam-Webster | English | 1898 | 55 million [343] |
Book | Author(s) | Original language | First published | Approximate sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
Roget's Thesaurus | Peter Mark Roget | English | 1852– | 40 million [344] |
できるシリーズ (Dekiru Series) | Impress [ ja ] Dekiru Series Editorial Desk | Japanese | 1994–present | 40 million [345] |
Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book | Various authors | English | 1930– | 38 million [346] |
The Art of Mathematics ( The Art of Mathematics ) | Hong Sung-dae | Korean | 1966–present | 37 million [347] ~ 40 million [348] |
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary | A. S. Hornby | English | 1948 | 30 million [349] |
Le guide Michelin France ( The Michelin Guide France) (published every year) | Various authors | French | 1900–present | 30 million [350] |
Book | Author(s) | Original language | First published | Approximate sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
超図解シリーズ (Cho-Zukai series) | X media [ ja ] | Japanese | 1996–2007 | 25 million [351] |
自由自在 [ ja ] (Jiyu Jizai) | Various authors | Japanese | 1953–present | 24 million [352] |
新明解国語辞典 ( Shin Meikai kokugo jiten ) | Tadao Yamada | Japanese | 1972 | 20.4 million [353] |
English Grammar | Lindley Murray | English | 1795 | 20 million [354] |
Book | Author(s) | Original language | First published | Approximate sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Joy of Cooking | Various authors | English | 1936 | 18 million [355] |
スーパーマップル (Super Mapple) | Various authors | Japanese | 1991–present | 18 million [356] |
チャート式 [ ja ] (Chart Shiki) | Various authors | Japanese | 1927–present | 17.44 million, only for the first grade of high-school [357] |
英語基本単語集 (Eigo Kihon Tangoshu) "Compilation of basic English vocabulary" | Yoshio Akao | Japanese, English | 1942 | 17.2 million [357] |
Merriam-Webster Pocket Dictionary | English | (Up to 1975) | 15.11 million [358] | |
試験に出る英単語 (Siken Ni Deru Eitango) "English vocabulary in examinations" | Ichiro Mori | Japanese, English | 1967 | 15 million [359] |
新英和中辞典 (Shin Eiwa Chu Jiten) "New English-Japanese Dictionary" | Shigeru Takebayashi | Japanese, English | 1967 | 12 million [360] |
広辞苑 ( Kōjien ) | Izuru Shinmura | Japanese | 1955 | 11.9 million [361] |
旺文社古語辞典 (Obunsha Kogo Jiten) "Obunsha Dictionary of Archaisms" | Akira Matsumura | Japanese | 1960 | 11 million [362] |
Hammond's Pocket Atlas | English | (Up to 1965) | 11 million [363] | |
三省堂国語辞典 ( Sanseido Kokugo Jiten ) "Sanseido Dictionary of the Japanese Language" | Kenbō Hidetoshi | Japanese | 1960 | 10 million [364] |
家庭に於ける実際的看護の秘訣 (Katei Ni Okeru Jissaiteki Kango No Hiketsu) "Key to Practical Personal Care at Home" | Takichi Tsukuda | Japanese | 1925 | 10 million [365] |
C程序设计 (C Program Design) | Tan, Haoqiang | Chinese | 1991 | 10 million [366] |
Terry Lee Goodkind was an American writer. He was known for the epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth as well as the contemporary suspense novel The Law of Nines (2009), which has ties to his fantasy series. The Sword of Truth series sold 25 million copies worldwide and was translated into more than 20 languages. Additionally, it was adapted into a television series called Legend of the Seeker, which premiered on November 1, 2008, and ran for two seasons, ending in May 2010.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a fantasy novel written by the British author J. K. Rowling. It is the fifth novel in the Harry Potter series. It follows Harry Potter's struggles through his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including the surreptitious return of the antagonist Lord Voldemort, O.W.L. exams, and an obstructive Ministry of Magic. The novel was published on 21 June 2003 by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom, Scholastic in the United States, and Raincoast in Canada. It sold five million copies in the first 24 hours of publication.
For Dummies is an extensive series of instructional reference books which are intended to present non-intimidating guides for readers new to the various topics covered. The series has been a worldwide success with editions in numerous languages.
One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump since July 1997, with its chapters compiled in 110 tankōbon volumes as of November 2024. The series follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as he explores the Grand Line in search of the mythical treasure known as the "One Piece" to become the next King of the Pirates.
Eragon is the first book in The Inheritance Cycle by American fantasy writer Christopher Paolini. Paolini, born in 1983, began writing the novel after graduating from home school at the age of fifteen. After writing the first draft for a year, Paolini spent a second year rewriting and fleshing out the story and characters. His parents saw the final manuscript and in 2001 decided to self-publish Eragon; Paolini spent a year traveling around the United States promoting the novel. The book was discovered by novelist Carl Hiaasen, who brought it to the attention of Alfred A. Knopf. The re-published version was released on August 26, 2003.
Jon "Jo" Nesbø is a Norwegian writer, musician, and former football player and reporter. More than 3 million copies of his novels had been sold in Norway as of March 2014, and he had sold over 50 million copies worldwide by 2021, making him the most successful Norwegian author of all time. His work has been translated into more than 50 languages.
James Brendan Patterson is an American author. Among his works are the Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women's Murder Club, Maximum Ride, Daniel X, NYPD Red, Witch & Wizard, Private and Middle School series, as well as many stand-alone thrillers, non-fiction, and romance novels. Patterson's books have sold more than 425 million copies, and he was the first person to sell one million e-books. In 2016, Patterson topped Forbes's list of highest-paid authors for the third consecutive year, with an income of $95 million. His total income over a decade is estimated at $700 million.
American singer Michael Jackson (1958–2009) released ten studio albums, five soundtrack albums, thirty-five compilation albums, ten video albums and seven remix albums. Since his death, two albums of unreleased tracks have been posthumously released. Jackson made his debut in 1964 at the age of five with The Jackson 5, who were prominent performers during the 1970s. Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists in history with over 500 million records sold worldwide. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Jackson has sold 89 million certified albums in the United States.
Harlequin Enterprises ULC is a publisher of romance, women's fiction and various other genres under multiple publishing imprints. Founded in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1949, from the 1960s, it grew into the largest publisher of romance fiction in the world.
Kristin Hannah is an American writer. Her most notable works include Winter Garden, The Nightingale, Firefly Lane, The Great Alone, and The Four Winds. In 2024, St. Martin's Publishing Group published her novel, The Women, which is set in America in the 1960s.
Yellow Bird is a Swedish film and television production company. In 2003 Danish producer Ole Søndberg and Swedish author Henning Mankell started a collaboration on a series of television films based on Mankell’s famous fictional detective Kurt Wallander and Yellow Bird was born. The success of the initial Wallander films was followed by Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, Jo Nesbø’s Headhunters, Liza Marklund’s Annika Bengtzon series as well as the British version of Wallander starring Kenneth Branagh.
Alloy Entertainment, LLC is a book packaging and television production unit of Warner Bros. Television Studios. It produces books, television series, and feature films.
Millennium is a series of crime novels originally conceptualized by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. Larsson completed three books before his death; David Lagercrantz penned the next three; and Karin Smirnoff is in the midst of writing the third trilogy. The two primary characters in the saga are Lisbeth Salander, an asocial computer hacker with a photographic memory, and Mikael Blomkvist, an investigative journalist and publisher of a magazine called Millennium.
Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. The term usually refers to written media, such as books and magazines, either as an ebook or as a physical copy using print on demand technology. It may also apply to albums, pamphlets, brochures, games, video content, artwork, and zines. Web fiction is also a major medium for self-publishing.
The Twilight Saga is a series of romance fantasy films based on the book series Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. The series has grossed over $3.36 billion worldwide. The first installment, Twilight, was released on November 21, 2008. The second installment, New Moon, followed on November 20, 2009. The third installment, Eclipse, was released on June 30, 2010. The fourth installment, Breaking Dawn – Part 1, was released on November 18, 2011, while the fifth and final installment, Breaking Dawn – Part 2, was released on November 16, 2012.
Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo, like many of Scott's novels, was a runaway best-seller and is still widely available in abbreviated and entire editions and even in comic strip format.
With the publication of Don Quixote, Cervantes created one of the world's first runaway, international bestsellers. From its publication in the early days of 1605 to the present, Don Quixote has become the most published work of literature in history...The truth is, though, that we cannot know how many copies have been made, sold, or, much less, read in the four hundred years since Don Quixote was first published; its influence has been, in every sense of the word, immeasurable.
is probably the most popular book in all of East Asia.
Since its inaugural publication on August 30, 1859, A Tale of Two Cities has sold over 200 million copies in several languages, making it one of the most famous books in the history of fictional literature.
...some estimates say "A Tale of Two Cities" is the best-selling novel of all time at more than 200 million copies.
According to Adam Spreadbury-Maher, the artistic director of the King's Head Theatre, the prize goes to Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, with sales of more than 200 million copies since its publication in 1859.
A Tale of Two Cities is believed to be the best-selling novel of all time, having sold more than 200 million copies.
A Tale of Two Cities...," the bookseller [Peter Harrington] writes in its catalogue. "..., regularly cited as the all-time bestselling novel in any language, with over 200 million copies sold.
Translated into hundreds of languages, some 150 million copies of the novella have sold worldwide, making it one of the best-selling books in publishing history.
The novella has been translated into hundreds of languages and has sold some 200 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling books in publishing history.
Sun Yuming, the vice director of A Dream of Red Mansions Research Institute...said that the book has sold over 100 million copies worldwide so far.
Five other books the [sic] have broken the 100 million barrier are as follows:...Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin...
Today The Hobbit has sold 100 million copies and been translated into something like fifty languages, including (two of Tolkien's favourites) Icelandic and West Frisian.
The prelude to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit has been translated in to more than 50 languages and has sold 100 million copies worldwide.
Despite his concerns, The Hobbit went on to sell 100 million copies.
Since then it has sold 83 million copies in 44 languages.
His next novel, She, about a beautiful ageless sorceress, was a smashing success, and by 1965 had sold 83 million copies.
A landmark 20th-century novel, Lolita sold over 50 million copies by 2007.
Il resto, è storia nota: allo stato attuale delle cose, è inutile elencare le lingue in cui è stato tradotto Pinocchio ed è praticamente impossibile calcolare il numero delle copie vendute nel mondo – alcune fonti riportano 35 milioni, altre 80, ma è soltanto un modo, anche abbastanza ozioso, di quantificare un successo inquantificabile.
Con i suoi trentacinque milioni di copie, Le Avventure di Pinocchio è il nostro romanzo più letto e più tradotto, dopo I promessi sposi.
almost 30 million
almost 30 million
Pride and Prejudice is the novel that simply will not die. Twenty million copies on, Mr Darcy has become so synonymous with the romantic hero that when researchers found a pheromone in male mouse urine irresistible to female mice, they named it "darcin".
...having never been out of print, it is now believed to have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.
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ignored (help)Published between 1949 and 2001, the San Antonio anthology is one of the best-selling French novel series of all times, having sold an estimated 200 million copies.
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(help)His most recognized character, the lovable and charismatic Little Critter®, was born in 1975 in the book Just for You. Mercer's Little Critter has since starred in more than two hundred books, which have sold over one hundred and fifty million copies.
His four books have collectively sold more than 33 million copies worldwide.
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: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)As of 1963, 125 million copies had been sold
The Guinness Book of World Records has been published in 30 languages in more than 100 countries and has sold in excess of 115 million copies, becoming the biggest selling copyright book of all time.
More than 40 million copies have been sold