James Patterson tops the list of best-selling authors since 2001

James Patterson is the world's best-selling author and JK Rowling, who comes second in the American list, is top of the UK sales charts from 2001-2014

James Patterson, JK Rowling, Nora Roberts,Ted Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss, John Grisham; bottom: Stephenie Meyer, Dan Brown, Nicholas Sparks, Janet Evanovich and Jeff Kinney. The best-selling authors since 2001 

By Martin Chilton, Culture Editor online

The Telegraph -  20 Mar 2014

James Patterson is the world's top-selling author since January 2001 (with his biggest-selling title being 1st to Die), it was revealed in new lists based on print volume sales issued by publishing data experts Nielsen.

Patterson, who will be 67 on March 22, is the author of the Alex Cross detective books and has sold more than 300 million copies since his debut, The Thomas Berryman Number, was published in 1976, the first of 130 novels. His books account for one out of every 17 hardcover novels purchased in the United States.

IN NUMBERS: James Patterson: how the bestseller factory works

Patterson, who last month said he was giving away nearly £1million of his personal fortune to support local bookshops in America, also writes young adult fiction and recently wrote a special short story set in London to encourage children to read as part of World Book Day. Patterson's Middle School: How I Got Lost in London tells the story of Rafe Khatchadorian and a school trip to London, and includes mentions of Tate Modern, HMS Belfast and the National Theatre.

Patterson does well in the UK as well (in sixth place). In the figures for UK volume and earnings sales, however, JK Rowling (who takes second spot in the US list) is top, her books having earned £209,722,338 in the UK since 2001. Julia Donaldson, Jacqueline Wilson, Roger Hargreaves, EL James and Jamie Oliver are also in the UK top 10. Children's authors are successful in America, too, with Dr Seuss (the late Ted Geisel), Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney and Twilight creator Stephenie Meyer all in the US top 10. The best-selling book of Dr Seuss is Oh, the Places You'll Go! which includes the lines:
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 per cent guaranteed.)

For Patterson, who already has nine books scheduled for publication in 2014, it seems success is 100 per cent guaranteed.


WORLD'S 10 BEST-SELLING AUTHORS (WITH BIGGEST-SELLING BOOK) SINCE 2001
• 1: James Patterson (1st to Die)
• 2: JK Rowling (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
• 3: Nora Roberts (Red Lily)
• 4: Dr Seuss (Oh, the Places You'll Go!)
• 5 John Grisham (A Painted House)
• 6: Stephenie Meyer (Twilight)
• 7: Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code)
• 8: Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook)
• 9: Janet Evanovich (One for the Money)
• 10: Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

List compiled by Nielsen (US) Book Data


UK'S 20 BEST-SELLING AUTHORS BY VOLUME (WITH VALUE LISTED) 2001-MARCH 20, 2014
• 1 JK Rowling – £209,722,338
• 2 Julia Donaldson – £84,236,523
• 3 Dan Brown – £89,430,433
• 4 Jacqueline Wilson – £81,944,149
• 5 Roger Hargreaves – £30,746,661
• 6 James Patterson £86,534,077
• 7 EL James – £48,787,532
• 8 Jamie Oliver – £131,031,085
• 9 John Grisham – £71,111,424
• 10 Terry Pratchett – £79,091,038
• 11 Stephenie Meyer – £57,488,542
• 12 Daisy Meadows – £33,333,081
• 13 Enid Blyton – £38,525,177
• 14 Francesca Simon – £42,459,107
• 15 Danielle Steel – £50,268,720
• 16 Martina Cole – £54,414,431
• 17 Roald Dahl – £42,987,766
• 18 Alexander McCall Smith – £48,535,939
• 19 Lee Child – £44,312,245
• 20 Ian Rankin – £48,171,091

UK figures courtesy of www.nielsenbook.co.uk 


And separate story - 

James Patterson: how the bestseller factory works

James Patterson is the world's bestselling author since 2001. But how is he releasing 15 novels this year alone?