Best-selling Self-Published Authors on Amazon

Andy Weir, most recognised for his 2011 self-published Amazon novel “The Martian”, has sold 5 million copies in North America alone.
The hit science-fiction book was turned into a movie in 2015, grossing $630 million worldwide.
Weir has since sold film adaptation rights for his book “Project Hail Mary” to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for $3 million, in 2020.
Marie Force (multiple New York Times best-selling author) has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.
As of 2016, 80% of her revenue came from 30 self-published titles.
She expected this to trend towards 70% through later contract opportunities.
Her business also hit eight-figure revenue figures that year.
Marie Force believes self-publishing through KDP created a huge positive impact on her career.
Hugh Howey, author of “Wool”, claimed in 2012 that due to Kindle Direct Publishing, he was achieving six-figure monthly revenue numbers.
As of early 2023, its television series is set to premiere on Apple TV+.

Self-published Amazon authors

Marie Force

Worldwide, her books have sold over 12 million copies.
She specializes in contemporary, suspense and erotic romance novels.
Her books have also been translated into 12+ languages.
As of 2016, her business also hit eight-figure revenue figures
During the same year, 80% of her revenue came from 30 self-published titles.
At the time she expected this to trend towards 70% through future contracts.
She believes the greatest positive impact on her career was created by her decision to become self-published.
Marie Force’s career highlights include:
- New York Times bestseller list over 30 times
- USA Today bestseller
- #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller
- Der Spiegel bestseller (Germany)

LJ Ross

LJ Ross has sold over 8 million book copies globally.
She found her success in writing romance suspense thrillers.
Holy Island (2015) was her debut book, becoming an instant bestseller across the globe.
Her novels have also reached the #1 spot more than 20 times.
In 2020, she became the first self-published author to receive a nomination for a British Book Award.

Stephanie Bond

Across multiple formats and languages, Stephanie Bond has sold over 7 million copies.
Overall, she has published over 100 novels, predominantly within the genres of romance and mystery.
In 2012, she attained the best-selling self-published Kindle book with “Our Husband”.
4 years later, The Hallmark Channel decided to adapt her romantic comedy “Stop the Wedding!” into a movie.
Her project “COMA GIRL”, an online daily serial, was also chosen as an option for a television series by CBS Studios in 2018.

Rebecca Zanetti

She has sold more than 5 million copies of her books worldwide.
A best-selling author of paranormal, contemporary and suspense romance novels.
Overall, the author has published 60+ novels, with translations spanning several languages.
Her novels have also been included in Amazon’s best books of the year.
Rebecca Zanetti’s career highlights include:
- #1 Amazon bestseller
- New York Times bestseller
- USA Today bestseller
- Publishers Weekly bestseller

Andy Weir

Andy Weir is most recognised for his 2011 novel “The Martian”, which has sold 5 million copies in North America alone.
He originally decided to self-publish its full manuscript on Amazon, where it achieved bestseller status.
The book was turned into a movie in 2015, grossing $630 million worldwide.
Weir has since sold film adaptation rights for his 2021 book “Project Hail Mary” to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for $3 million, in early 2020.
Film rights to his 2017 book “Artemis” have also been purchased by 20th Century Studios alongside New Regency.
Due to these successful works, he is revered within the sci-fi and fantasy communities.

Rachel Abbott

4 million copies of her books have been sold in English.
Her works have also been translated into over 20 different languages.
With an overall focus on psychological thrillers, she is most recognized for her “DCI Tom Douglas” series of books.
Rachel Abbott’s career highlights include:
- Amazon’s most popular independently published author: UK (2015)
- Amazon’s number one e-book seller: crime and thriller writing (2015)
- 14th best-selling author over the last five years on Amazon’s Kindle: UK (2015)

A.G Riddle

In total, his sci-fi novels have sold 4+ million copies worldwide across 24 languages.
“The Atlantis Gene” was his debut novel, selling 3 million copies across the globe.
He attributes part of the success of his first book to Amazon’s ability to promote trending books.
A selection of his books are also in development for feature films.

Hugh Howey

With a focus on science-fiction, his works have sold over 3 million copies globally.
Howey first published his novel “Wool” through Amazon KDP in 2011.
He opted for the platform as he wanted to allow himself more freedom by means of self-publishing.
The film rights to “Wool” were eventually sold to 20th Century Fox in 2012.
Despite this, he retains the personal right to fully continue distributing “Wool” online.
The author claimed that due to Kindle Direct Publishing, he was achieving six-figure monthly revenue numbers, as of the same year.
As of early 2023, a TV series of “Wool” is set to premiere on Apple TV+.

Tricia O’Malley

Sold over three million copies, spanning the genres of contemporary romance, paranormal romance and mystery.
She has been a best-selling author on the New York Times, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal.
The author claims that the decision to publish with Amazon and KDP positively changed her life.

Mark Dawson

Has achieved 2 million+ book downloads in multiple countries and languages.
As of 2015, he had made $750,000 from self-published Amazon books since his first release.
He has 20+ books published across the thriller genre, as of 2022.

Jeff Carson

Over 2 million copies sold worldwide.
An Amazon #1 international best-selling author of thriller novels.
Famous for the series of David Wolf and Ali Falco.
He chose to self-publish with Amazon due to the platform’s ability to reach the most readers in the simplest way.

Joanna Penn

A best-selling author on the New York Times and USA Today.
She has sold just under 1 million copies through 35+ fiction and nonfiction books.
Amazon sales accounted for 62% of her revenue in 2019 and 55% of her revenue in 2021.

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Self-publishing through kindle direct publishing FAQ

When was KDP launched?

Kindle Direct Publishing was launched in 2007.

Why was KDP created?

Kindle Direct Publishing was created in 2007 in order to encourage writers to publish new material through a user-friendly platform.

How many authors use KDP?

Kindle Direct Publishing has been used by millions of self-published writers, contributing to a vast number of successful careers.

What are the benefits of KDP?

KDP allows indie authors to publish books across different formats for free.
The platform also makes books easily available to consumers in multiple marketplaces and countries.