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…
