10 Writers Who Turn Books Into Bucks

So you think people don't read books anymore? Tell that to JK Rowling, No. 1 on Forbes' list of top-earning authors. The woman behind the Harry Potter juggernaut raked in $300 million in the past year, thanks in part to the movies based on her books—which have sold 375 million copies worldwide. The prolific James Patterson came in second, with $50 million.

Horror institution Stephen King was No. 3, with $45 million earned from June 2007 to June 2008. The rest of the top 10:

• Tom Clancy, $35 million
• Danielle Steel, $30 million
• John Grisham, $25 million
• Dean Koontz, $25 million
• Ken Follett, $20 million
• Janet Evanovich, $17 million
• Nicholas Sparks, $16 million

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