Home > Newsletter > No. 21 > Alumni and Prof.'s on the Internet

On the Internet, Class of 1965: Danielle Steel

SOURCE: BookBrowse.com

America reads Danielle Steel. And so does the rest of the world. There are more than 350 million copies of her books in print, and every book is a number one bestseller. In short, Danielle Steel is the most popular author writing today.

Since 1981, Ms. Steel has been a permanent fixture on The New York Times hardcover, trade paperback, and mass market bestseller lists. In 1989, she was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having at least one of her books on the Times' bestseller list for 381 consecutive weeks. But Guinness was premature. The fact is, one or more of Ms. Steel's novels have been on The New York Times bestseller list for over 390 consecutive weeks. She is read by women, men, young people, older people in 46 countries and 28 languages.

In addition to her writing, Ms. Steel has been the National Chairperson for The American Library Association and a spokesperson for the National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse. Her recorded messages for the organization have been heard on the radio throughout the country. Most recently, Ms. Steel is the national spokesperson for the American Humane Association (AHA). She has done television public service announcements raising awareness about child abuse, which aired on TV stations across the country.

From an education in New York and Europe to a professional background in public relations and advertising, Ms. Steel moved on quickly to her literary career and has been hard at work writing ever since. Often, she works on three books and several movies at a time, researching one storyline, writing another, and editing the third. Still, she often spends two to three years researching and developing a single project. In the heat of a first draft, it is not uncommon for her to spend 18 to 20 hours a day glued to her 1948 Olympia manual typewriter.

Ms. Steel maintains a high interest in the welfare and well-being of children. She has nine. And they keep her busy, as she also juggles her writing career. Ms. Steel leads a quiet family life and spends most of her time writing.





SOURCE: http://www.bookbrowse.com/index.cfm?page=author&authorID=16




Danielle Steel
Danielle Steel