Galactus
Devourer of Worlds
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Lacey Rose and Lauren Streib 10.01.08, 12:30 PM ET
While the publishing industry has struggled to come up with a "Happily Ever After" storyline in recent years, there's still plenty of money to be made in the business of books.
Sure it isn't the success it once was--blame it on the economy, the Web and the big-box stores--but the publishing industry's top earners still manage to turn pages of prose into piles of cash. In fact, the 10 stars on our list of the best-paid authors pulled in a combined $563 million between June 1, 2007, and June 1, 2008, thanks to hefty advances, impressive sales and silver screen adaptations.
Topping the list: J.K. Rowling, who banked a jaw-dropping $300 million over the course of the year.
Once a single mother on welfare, Rowling can now claim best-selling billionaire status thanks to her Harry Potter franchise. The adventures of the teen magician and his Hogwarts classmates took the publishing world by storm in 1998, when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone became a bona fide hit. In the decade since, it and the six subsequent books in the series have sold 375 million-plus copies worldwide. Over on the big screen, her Potter franchise has already generated $4.5 billion at the worldwide box office--and she still has three more flicks to come.
James Patterson places second on the list, raking in a cool $50 million during the 12-month period.
Like Rowling, the Along Came a Spider author has a rabid fan-base and a seemingly endless slew of books to entertain it. In fact, Patterson turns out at least two volumes a year and has already sold more than 150 million books worldwide. His most recent: beach read Sail, love story Sundays at Tiffany's and murder mystery The Dangerous Days of Daniel X.
But the author-turned-brand has similarly moved beyond books, dabbling in big- and small-screen adaptations as well as videogames. Consider his popular Women's Murder Club series, which was not only adapted for TV in a short-lived Walt Disney (nyse: DIS - news - people )-owned ABC series but also for the videogame set.
Coming in third: Stephen King, who earned $45 million over the course of the year.
The king of horror was scraping by on a schoolteacher's salary before his novel Carrie came out in 1974. Since then, he has published more than 40 books and sold some 350 million copies. He's also made his mark on the big and small screen as well as in comic books. Since 2003, the avid Boston Red Sox fan has offered his pop cultural insight in his regular "The Pop of King" column for Entertainment Weekly.
Tom Clancy places fourth, banking $35 million this year.
The master of the political thriller became a publishing powerhouse with novels like The Hunt for the Red October and Patriot Games, both of which proved hits on the silver screen as well. The best-selling author made big headlines last year when he sold the rights to videogame outfit Ubisoft for an estimated $100 million.
And Danielle Steel rounds out the top five, earning $30 million.
To date, the doyenne of romance novels' 70-plus works have been published in 47 countries and 28 languages. What's more, over 20 of her novels have been adapted for TV, many of them as female-friendly Lifetime movies. Also on Steel's resume: a San Francisco art gallery and an Elizabeth Arden (nasdaq: RDEN - news - people ) perfume.
Others on the list: Nicholas Sparks, Janet Evanovich, John Grisham, Dean Koontz and, thanks to a little Oprah magic, Ken Follett. Last year she chose Follett's 1989 novel Pillars of the Earth for her viewers, turning it into a bestseller. With friends like that, who needs a new book?
While the publishing industry has struggled to come up with a "Happily Ever After" storyline in recent years, there's still plenty of money to be made in the business of books.
Sure it isn't the success it once was--blame it on the economy, the Web and the big-box stores--but the publishing industry's top earners still manage to turn pages of prose into piles of cash. In fact, the 10 stars on our list of the best-paid authors pulled in a combined $563 million between June 1, 2007, and June 1, 2008, thanks to hefty advances, impressive sales and silver screen adaptations.
Topping the list: J.K. Rowling, who banked a jaw-dropping $300 million over the course of the year.
Once a single mother on welfare, Rowling can now claim best-selling billionaire status thanks to her Harry Potter franchise. The adventures of the teen magician and his Hogwarts classmates took the publishing world by storm in 1998, when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone became a bona fide hit. In the decade since, it and the six subsequent books in the series have sold 375 million-plus copies worldwide. Over on the big screen, her Potter franchise has already generated $4.5 billion at the worldwide box office--and she still has three more flicks to come.
James Patterson places second on the list, raking in a cool $50 million during the 12-month period.
Like Rowling, the Along Came a Spider author has a rabid fan-base and a seemingly endless slew of books to entertain it. In fact, Patterson turns out at least two volumes a year and has already sold more than 150 million books worldwide. His most recent: beach read Sail, love story Sundays at Tiffany's and murder mystery The Dangerous Days of Daniel X.
But the author-turned-brand has similarly moved beyond books, dabbling in big- and small-screen adaptations as well as videogames. Consider his popular Women's Murder Club series, which was not only adapted for TV in a short-lived Walt Disney (nyse: DIS - news - people )-owned ABC series but also for the videogame set.
Coming in third: Stephen King, who earned $45 million over the course of the year.
The king of horror was scraping by on a schoolteacher's salary before his novel Carrie came out in 1974. Since then, he has published more than 40 books and sold some 350 million copies. He's also made his mark on the big and small screen as well as in comic books. Since 2003, the avid Boston Red Sox fan has offered his pop cultural insight in his regular "The Pop of King" column for Entertainment Weekly.
Tom Clancy places fourth, banking $35 million this year.
The master of the political thriller became a publishing powerhouse with novels like The Hunt for the Red October and Patriot Games, both of which proved hits on the silver screen as well. The best-selling author made big headlines last year when he sold the rights to videogame outfit Ubisoft for an estimated $100 million.
And Danielle Steel rounds out the top five, earning $30 million.
To date, the doyenne of romance novels' 70-plus works have been published in 47 countries and 28 languages. What's more, over 20 of her novels have been adapted for TV, many of them as female-friendly Lifetime movies. Also on Steel's resume: a San Francisco art gallery and an Elizabeth Arden (nasdaq: RDEN - news - people ) perfume.
Others on the list: Nicholas Sparks, Janet Evanovich, John Grisham, Dean Koontz and, thanks to a little Oprah magic, Ken Follett. Last year she chose Follett's 1989 novel Pillars of the Earth for her viewers, turning it into a bestseller. With friends like that, who needs a new book?
