Forbes has compiled the list of top-earning authors at the moment. Collectively, these 11 richest writers (tying 10th) have sold nearly 30 million volumes in the United States over the past 12 months, for pre-tax income of $312.5 million.
The 2017 richest writers The list contains 5 female and 6 male authors, mostly from the US and the UK.
10.Rick Riordan
Income: $11 million
Riordan is a multi-award winning author credited for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He seems to have a flair for myth, which is reflected in his works. In addition to his book earnings, he has other current sources of income such as his clothing lines, coloring books and selling rights to an Off-Broadway play.
Rick Riordan’s books have been translated into 42 languages and have sold more than 30 million copies in the United States.
10. Danielle Steel
Income: $11 million
Danielle Steel has published 6 books alongside one picture book this year, Minnie in Hollywood . Her last book, The Duchess, became a New York Times bestseller.
The author’s books have been translated into over 4 languages. 22 were adapted for television, two were nominated for Golden Globe Awards.
9. E.L James
Income: $11.5 million
The former assistant to the studio manager has been writing since 2011. She has the Fifty Shades trilogy.
Under the pseudonym EL James, Erika Mitchell has over 125 million copies worldwide, including over 35 million in the US. EL James set the record for best-selling paperback of all time in the UK.
8.Paula Hawkins
Earnings: $13 million
Hawkins sold 2.2 million printed books in the US last year.
Her best-selling psychological thriller novel of 2015 , The Girl on the Train , covered issues such as domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse.The novel was later adapted into a film starring Emily Blunt in 2016.
Hawkins 6th novel, In the Water was published this year.
7.Nora Roberts
Earnings: $14 million
Nora Roberts is one of America’s Homemade Millionaires with a net worth of $370 million.
As of 2011, her novels had spent a combined 861 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list, including 176 weeks at number one (Wikipedia)
6.John Grisham
Earnings: $14 million
Meet the author of The Piper This is one of the best selling books of 2016 with over 660,000 domestic hardcover sales. The company he also wrote sold over 7 million copies. In 1993, the book was adapted into a feature film of the same name, starring Tom Cruise.
John’s newest Camino Island is reportedly at the top of the rankings and has the potential to boost his earnings this year.
5.Steven King
Income: $15 million
Steven King is known as the king of horror, fantasy and supernatural fiction.
His books have sold more than 350 million copies,Many of these have been adapted into feature films, miniseries, television series, and comics.
quote wikipedia,
“King has published 54 novels, including seven under the pseudonym Richard Bachman and six non-fiction books. He has written around 200 short stories, most of which have been collected in book collections. “
4. Dan Brown
Earnings: $20 million
Dan Brown’s novels are published in 56 languages around the world with over 200 million copies in print. His popular works include Angels and Demons (2000), The da Vinci Code (2003) and Inferno (2013).
His works are characterized by a “paradoxical interplay of science and religion”.
The Da Vinci Code caused a lot of controversy while the author had the following to say:
“[The Da Vinci Code is] an entertaining story that encourages spiritual discussion and debate,” and suggests that the book can be used “as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith.”
His fans are expecting his work to be published soon, Origin .
3. Jeff Kinney
Earnings: $21 million
Jeff is an American cartoonist, producer, and author of children’s books. He is famous for the Greg’s Diary series of books.
He also appeared in the film version of the book, playing the role of Holly Hills’ father. He was also the screenwriter for the Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul.
The book, more than 10 years old, is still very extensivemerit for him. Jeff has sold approximately 3.2 million copies of the book in the United States. He is also the creator of Poptropica, a kid-oriented website.
2.James Patterson
Earnings: $87 million
James Patterson is listed as one of Forbes’ highest paid entertainers of 2017. The renowned author is known for his standalone thrillers, non-fiction and novels.
According to the 2016 Forbes report, Patterson had an income of $95 million over a ten-year period and a combined income of $700 million.
Patterson, America’s richest author, is known for this quote:
“You’re lucky enough to find something you love to do, and it’s a miracle when someone pays you to do it. That’s been my gig since I was in my 20’s. “
1.JK Rowlings
Earnings: $95 million
Meet the famous author and mastermind behind the Harry Potter fantasy series. JK Rowlings has sold more than 400 million copies of her books.
In 2011, she became the first female billionaire author in the history of Forbes richest rankings. The writer with the heart of gold is dedicated to causes such as the fight against illiteracy, poverty and multiple sclerosis.
“You have a moral responsibility when you have been given far more than you need to do wisely with and give intelligently.”
Her philanthropy caused her billionaire status to plummet. Within a year, Rowlings had donated around $160 million to charity.