The Highest Paid Authors of 2010
Dan who? James Patterson is king when it comes to making money from writing books (although I’m not sure he actually writes that much himself — a New York Times Magazine profile earlier this year says “with the help of his stable of co-authors, he published nine original hardcover books in 2009 and will publish at least nine more in 2010,” implying that most of the work is done by the co-authors). From Forbes:
Publishers are feeling the heat, with hardcover sales weak and the rise of e-books promising to upend their business models. But the world’s 10 top-earning authors are making out just fine, earning a combined $270 million over the 12 months to June 1.
James Patterson’s $70 million in earnings vaults him to No. 1 on our list, up from second place two years ago. The prolific thriller writer’s latest deal, signed last fall, involves penning a carpal tunnel-risking 17 books by the end of 2012 for an estimated $100 million.
Patterson’s literary empire includes television, comic book and gaming deals. His foreign sales alone bring in well over $10 million a year…
