Figure 5

Productivity and repeat success. The number of unique hardcovers published by (A) fiction and (B) nonfiction authors since 2008, including their bestsellers. Books published by (C) James Patterson and (D) Timothy J. Keller, the line height indicating one year sales and stars marking bestseller status. The number of (E) fiction and (F) nonfiction bestsellers per author. While most authors in both fiction and nonfiction have only one bestseller, repeat success is more common for fiction authors than for nonfiction ones. Additionally, having one or two hardcovers published since 2008 is the norm for most authors, yet bestselling fiction authors publish significantly more compared to nonfiction authors