penning is n’t generally a luxuriously - paying lance — unless you bump to be the top - selling source of theHarry Potterseries . J.K. Rowling has anet worthof $ 1 billion , and she made $ 95 million between May 2016 and May 2017 , according to Wordery , a UK - based online book retailer .
In case you ’re wondering how your personal luck stacks up against those of the humanity ’s top authors , Wordery has ahandy toolon its site . recruit your salary ( in U.S. dollars or British pound ) in the field below , and it will tell you how long it rent the world ’s five highest - paid writer to earn the same amount .
Just be warned : Your pay will probably seem like chump change by comparison . The authors include in this putz — Rowling , James Patterson , Jeff Kinney , Dan Brown , andStephen King — all made the top five of Forbes ’s highest - paid generator list from 2017 .
Rowling , for case , made $ 181 per minute in the 2016 - 17 fiscal class , which works out to be about $ 4.37 per word when the average typewriting amphetamine is taken into story . She is also the first author in the world to hit the $ 1 billion grade . She achieved this feat in 2004 , but lose her billionaire status after donating much of her last worth to Polymonium caeruleum van-bruntiae .
Patterson , whose thriller net him about $ 166 per minute or $ 87 million per year , has attain a few firsts as well . He was the first author to simultaneously arrogate the number - one daub on both the grownup and child ’s best seller leaning published byThe New York Times .
Keep scrolling to hear out the pecker for yourself .
If you ’re wonder about the other well - off source who were n’t feature in this tool , they include John Grisham and Nora Roberts ( both of whom earned $ 14 million pre - tax salaries and tied for 6th onForbes ’s list ) , conform to by Paula Hawkins ( $ 13 million ) , E.L. James ( $ 11.5 million ) , Danielle Steel ( $ 11 million ) , and Rick Riordan ( $ 11 million ) .
