James Patterson earned approximately $86 million in royalties during the year. A report by Forbes reads, 'This is the 10th time that Patterson has ranked first in the list’s two-decade history'. Master of horror Stephen King ranked third while legal-thriller writer John Grisham ranked fourth on the list.

James Patterson earned approximately $86 million in royalties during the year. A report by Forbes reads, 'This is the 10th time that Patterson has ranked first in the list’s two-decade history'. Master of horror Stephen King ranked third while legal-thriller writer John Grisham ranked fourth on the list.