MEET THE BESTSELLERS

They may not be rich or famous, but these people are technically all Amazon bestselling authors.

Norm Schriever Author of South of Normal and The Book Marketing Bible Schriever, an American writer based in Southeast Asia, currently has numerous self-published books available on Amazon.com, and said at least three have hit the bestseller mark. “It’s not that big of a deal,” he said by Skype from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he’s based. “It’s not like a parade goes by your house and a cheque shows up when it comes.” Schriever, who now spends hundreds of dollars to self-publish a book, said in the beginning he spent about $10,000 on different self-publishing services. He has “not at all” seen his bestselling-author status reflected in the sales of his books and supports himself by doing other types of writing for corporate clients. But, “You can walk around at parties and act cool, and call yourself an Amazon bestselling author.” Barbara Edie Author of Sparking Change Around the Globe: 5 ways to make your difference in the world Edie, a writer and editor based in Victoria, B.C., self-published this Kindle ebook in August 2013. In the first few days, despite selling fewer than 100 copies, it shot to the top of the non-profit organizations and charities category, making her an Amazon bestselling author. “Quite honestly, I have mixed feelings about this myself as a writer,” she said. “I have (Amazon bestseller) in my email signature but I’m even considering taking it off.” Edie believes it is a legitimate marker, but “in some cases it’s manipulated,” and “the prestige and credibility becomes very watered down.” Danielle Joworski Author of The ATHENA Prodigies: Empowering Women Empowering Girls After leaving a corporate career, the Guelph, Ont., resident decided to pursue her long-time dream of writing a book. Joworski launched The ATHENA Prodigies on Amazon in late 2015 and was surprised when she discovered she had become a bestseller in the teen-health category. She found the status “overwhelming and humbling,” and said she had a “really positive experience,” declining to comment on the exact number of copies she has sold. Just because many people have a bestseller status it “doesn’t cheapen” the experience, she added. James Burchill Author of Evernote Exposed, Meetupology and Niche Surveyor Burchill, a writer, consultant and teacher based in Burlington, has self-published several books on Amazon, including three that have hit the bestseller mark in categories such as marketing, and small business and entrepreneurship. He said he didn’t go through any company and instead taught himself how to do it, even making a flow-chart guide, and was “pleasantly surprised” when he became a bestseller. “You don’t tend to get very wealthy getting a bestseller,” he said, estimating his books have sold fewer than 5,000 copies. “But it’s awfully good for sort of bragging rights.”