Why isn't Tom Clancy in the top selling authors of all times category?

Question

Wikipedia has a compiled list of all the best selling authors of all times....

Last on the list is Stephenie Meyer with 100,000,000 copies of Twilight sold.. at the top is William Shakesphere and everyone in between.

I cant help but wonder why Tom Clancy isnt on this list? His books have to of sold more than Twilight?? Nora Roberts is on the list, James Patterson.. Come on where is tom clancy.

Is he over rated as an author? Because I was under the impression his books sell millions of copies.

Answer 1

Tom Clancy writes a specific type of book for a specific audience. It is a much smaller audience than Meyer or Patterson. The military/spy genre is read mainly by men, and as stated above, men tend to read less. The books are time-consuming and require attention, unlike James Patterson's, which are easy and can be read in quick bites (he writes 30-odd at a time). Nora Roberts writes romance, which is probably the most popular genre. Twilight is both romance and teen paranormal (which girls love).

Best-selling has nothing to do with the quality of the writing.

Answer 2

Yes, Twilight and Harry Potter really does outsell Tom Clancy. Women and teens read more than men.

Answer 3

They haven't sold that much and yes at least by you he's over-rated.





He's a niche author selling genre fiction. He isn't exactly churning out literature for the ages.