Using the words best-selling author doesn't mean what it used to. You probably don't know what it takes to become a best-selling author. You can be on several lists and have this title like the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Amazon, etc., but that doesn't mean what it used to.

There is a lot of competition, but don't let that hold you back from achieving this title. To get on these lists, you need to:

1. Write a quality book - This is a given, but you'd be surprised at how many people don't do this. Your book needs to be well-written and edited.

2. Have a good marketing plan - You need to get your book in front of as many people as possible. There are many ways to do this, from advertising to content marketing to social media. One popular method is to find bloggers who want free books in exchange for an honest review on their blog.

3. Build up your author brand - Creating a name for yourself as an author is important, so people know who you are when they see your book. This can be done through platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also give talks or workshops on your book's topic.

4. Be patient - It takes time to build up momentum and sales. Don't expect to become a best-selling author overnight!

If you follow these tips, you'll be well on your way to becoming a best-selling author. Just remember, the term doesn't mean what it used to, so don't get discouraged if you don't see your name on a list right away. Keep writing quality books and promoting them, and eventually, you'll reach your goal.

You'll notice that there are few to no authors with the blub, Amazon best-selling author on their book covers. Why is that? Probably because there are so many categories on Amazon that you could be number one in that category if you sold one or two books in a day.

The real prestige comes from making it to the top one hundred on the Amazon charts. This means that you are in the top one hundred of all books sold on Amazon and have sold truckloads of books. The closest I've come is making it to the top five hundred, and it only lasted for a day. That is a great accomplishment, but the true measure of a best seller is that you maintain the rank or do better over time.

I want to be clear that I'm not knocking anyone's achievements. Suppose you have the Amazon best-selling author blurb on your book; good for you. You've worked hard and achieved something. But if you're like me and are always striving to improve, then understand that the term bestseller has changed and what it takes to be one has changed with it.

To achieve the title USA Today Best-Seller, you have to sell 6,000 books in one week. Only sales in the United States count and can include pre-orders. Five hundred or more sales have to be with a retailer other than Amazon, and it has to be a paid book. Free books don't count. It can be a solo book or a box set. If you have a stellar marketing plan and a large reader base interested in your book.

If you are fortunate enough to attain the USA Today Best-Seller title, you can boost the sales of your future titles and boost your ego a bit. The title is wonderful, and I applaud all who have achieved it, but I like to see the dollars hitting my account. That is how I measure my best-selling status.