The 16 Top-Earning Authors – 2015

Every year, Forbes announces the top-earning authors in the world. These are the top-earning authors of 2015.

Every year, Forbes announces the top-earning authors in the world. James Patterson, who heads this year’s list, topped the list in 2014 and 2012, and EL James topped the list in 2013

These 16 authors earned a combined $355 million between June 2014 and June 2015 before taxes or any fees.

Natalie Robehmed writes, ‘Estimates ares compiled by examining print, ebook and audiobook sales from Nielsen BookScan, considering TV and movie income, and talking to authors, agents, publishers and other taxes.’

Young Adult authors are selling more books and making more at the box office than ever before. New authors in the top three are the YA favourites, John Green and Veronica Roth.

Green earned most of his money with sales of The Fault in Our Stars, which sold over 3.5 million copies in 2014, while the film grossed $307 million. His novel Paper Towns, has also been adapted for film.

Roth’s Divergent trilogy sold 3.9 million copies in 2014, with a surge in sales after the release of the film, Insurgent, which grossed $295 million.

Here is the list. If you want to see what some of the authors earnings are per page, click here.