Fifty Shades author becomes world's highest paid writer with £62m earnings

Sex sells, and Fifty Shades Of Grey author EL James topping a list of the world’s highest earning authors seems to be proof of that.

James, whose real name is Erika Leonard, took home an estimated £62m last year beating James Patterson, Danielle Steel, and Stephen King.

“The e-book format was a key factor, giving readers an easy way to purchase sex-filled sequels – and a discreet way to read them in public,” according to Forbes.

The Brit is believed to have earned more than £3m for the film rights to her titillating trilogy.

Here’s a list of the top 10 highest earning authors of 2013:

1. EL James – $95m

2. James Patterson – $91m

3. Suzanne Collins – $55m

4. Bill O’Reilly – $28m

5. Danielle Steel – $26m

6. Jeff Kinney – $24m

7. Janet Evanovich – $24m

8. Nora Roberts – $23m

9. Dan Brown – $22m

10. Stephen King – $20m