Congratulations! Whether this is your first or fourth time participating in NaNoWriMo, completing a novel within thirty days is a feat in itself. It’s a time to celebrate and think about your next step. Many writers are so focused on finishing their draft that they don’t really plan for what comes after. That manuscript you worked on for the last month sits there waiting. . . but for what?

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and maybe even discouraged after NaNoWriMo. You may think: What did I write this for? The next steps include editing and rewriting, which can make you feel like you’re getting nowhere. But there have been plenty of manuscripts written during NaNoWriMo that have went on to get published, even becoming bestsellers. To keep you motivated, here is a list of bestselling books that were written during NaNoWriMo.

1. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants was written during NaNo and was the first NaNo book ever to be adapted into film. There is no wonder why this book was a New York Times bestseller. The novel focuses on the story of Jacob Jankowski, a ninety-something-year-old man reminiscing on the time he was in the circus. Jacob was a veterinarian during the Depression and one fateful train ride led him to join the traveling circus. His job is to take care of all the animals, including Rosie, an untrainable elephant. Jacob even finds love with Marlene, one of the other performers, who is a married woman. As love blooms between them, misfortune seems to follow.

2. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

NaNoWriMo has often been a busy time for Meyer. She wrote the first three novels in The Lunar Chronicle series—Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress—during NaNo. She has gone on to write the final book in the series and a prequel. These young-adult science fiction novels take a new spin on fairy tales through the futuristic setting. Each story takes place in a dramatic setting with unique characters that follow the fairy tale—but with a twist. The stories are filled with androids, cyborgs, and even moon people.

3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

This novel took over three NaNoWriMos to write, but it was well worth the time. It spent seven weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, reaching the number two spot. Written through multiple perspectives in a multilinear timeline, the story focuses on the rivalry of two magicians. Their feud goes beyond themselves with an everlasting effect on their proteges, Celia and Marco. The two show off their magic at the Circus of Dreams, a whimsical event that harbors dark secrets, knowing only one can survive to end the feud. However, things take a turn when they fall in love.

4. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Rowell’s story is very interesting. An author of two published novels already, Rowell was very skeptical about NaNoWriMo at first. It wasn’t until after she participated and wrote her novel, did she become a NaNoWriMo advocate. Cath has been a fangirl all her life; her obsession with star Simon Snow began after her mother left. Since then, it’s just been Cath, her twin sister Wren, and their father. That is until she moves off to college and is alone for the first time in her life. Her sister tells her it’s time to grow up. All she’s ever done is write fanfiction and join forums about Simon Snow. Growing up means putting childish things behind her, but can she really give up Simon Snow?

5. Wool Trilogy by Hugh Howey

Hugh Howey was a three-time NaNoWriMo winner. He self-published Wool, the first short story in his collection. Shift and Dusk soon followed and were added in as second and third parts to the original novel. It became a New York Times bestseller and he sold the movie rights. Taking place in a post-apocalyptic world in the last remaining city of Silo, Wool follows the story of Sherriff Holston who begins to uncover the secrets of Silo’s government and the events of his wife’s death.

6. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

This post-apocalyptic story became Ryan’s debut novel, went on to being published by Penguin Random House, and became an instant bestseller. The first book in her trilogy is told through the eyes of a young girl named Mary. In the aftermath of an epidemic that turns people into mindless cannibals, humanity lives within gated cities to protect themselves. But the gates also hold them captative in their repressive cities full of secrets and corrupt leaders. It’s not until a fence breaks that Mary tries to escape beyond her home and the forest.

7. The Beautiful Land by Alan Averill

After completing a draft during NaNoWriMo, the novel was turned down numerous times by publishers before Averill decided to publish it on Amazon. It became an instant bestseller on Amazon Books, taking the number two spot. What makes The Beautiful Land stand out is its mixture of science-fiction, horror, and romance. As the world descends into apocalyptic madness, two lovers find themselves doing anything they can to stay alive—even if that means messing with the space-time continuum.