The production and reception of Deon Meyer’s works: an evaluation of the factors contributing to bestseller status

Abstract

Deon Meyer is a household name in South Africa as a bestselling crime fiction author. This article explores how and why Meyer’s career has evolved in the way that it has, in an attempt to answer the question of what has made him so successful. The focus is not, like so much academic analysis of fiction, on the form or content of Meyer’s work, but rather on the wider social context, and in particular the publishing and reception history of this author. In particular, attention is paid to a few key success factors: the role of the literary agent, the building of international market awareness through the sale of English-language translation and other subsidiary rights, literary awards, and branding decisions. With careful branding, a marketable personality, media exposure and well-chosen paratext, the “Deon Meyer” legend has been able to reach bestselling status.