James Patterson Tops Forbes' List of Top Earning Authors

Posted on August 10, 2012

The prolific James Patterson has topped a new Forbes' list of top earning authors. Patterson published a staggering 14 books in 2011. He earned over twice as much as Stephen King, who came in second on the list. Royalties from film and television were included in income in addition to book sales. Here is a list of the top ten earning authors:

  1. James Patterson - $94m
  2. Stephen King - $39m
  3. Janet Evanovich - $33m
  4. John Grisham - $26m
  5. Jeff Kinney - $25m
  6. Bill O'Reilly - $24m
  7. Nora Roberts - $23m
  8. Danielle Steel - $23m
  9. Suzanne Collins - $20m
  10. Dean Koontz - $19m
You can find the complete list with income details here on Forbes.com.


More from Writers Write


  • Costco Plans to Sell Books Only From September to December


  • Karlie Kloss to Relaunch Life Magazine at Bedford Media


  • NBF Expands National Book Awards Eligibility Criteria


  • Striking Writers and Actors March Together on Hollywood Streets


  • Vice Media Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy


  • New in Products: Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition