Famous writers journey to becoming authors… JK Rowling
JK Rowling was on welfare for two years while she wrote Harry Potter. Now she feels appreciative of the government and gives back to her country. She stays and pays because she feels she owes her country for her success.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-october-15-2012/exclusive—j-k–rowling-extended-interview-pt–1
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-october-15-2012/exclusive—j-k–rowling-extended-interview-pt–2
Though the seeds of Harry had been sown as early as 1990, Rowling didn’t put all of the pieces together and start writing in earnest until the mid-1990s when she was living in Edinburgh, Scotland, raising her daughter, Jessica, alone. Not able to afford even a used typewriter — let alone a computer — Rowling wrote the earliest drafts of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in longhand. “I knew I wanted to get published. And, in truth, writing novels is something you have to believe in to keep going. It’s a fairly thankless job when no one is paying you to do it. And you don’t really know if it’s ever going to get into the bookshops so I really did believe in it. But I was also very realistic. I knew the odds were not on my side because, an unknown author, you know? It’s tough. It’s tough the first time to get published, so I persevered. I loved writing it and I felt that I just had to try.”
http://januarymagazine.com/profiles/jkrowling.html
Between June 2007 and June 2008, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling banked an astonishing $300 million, easily making her the wealthiest writer on the planet. There have been whispers that Rowling is a sweet $50 million richer than the Queen of England, although Rowling has denied the claim.
The Casual Vacancy. Read the full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/22/jk-rowling-book-casual-vacancy
http://www.jkrowling.com/en_GB/
Second place on the list goes to prolific author James Patterson who brought in a paltry $50 million for his efforts. Patterson’s new book, Cross Country, part of his wildly successful Alex Cross thriller series, is set for release on November 17th.
Fright meister Stephen King takes third place with a respectable $45 million. King is breaking new ground with his upcoming release, Just After Sunset: one of the book’s short stories, “N,” has been turned into a 25 episode digi-drama. Find out more and watch the episodes HERE.
Tom Clancy, best-selling espionage and military science writer, is in fourth place with $35 million this past year.
romance novelist Danielle Steele with $30 million.
rich authors include Nicholas Sparks, Janet Evanovich, John Grisham, Dean Koontz, and Ken Follet
Nearly every author is a mystery or thriller writer, most of whom got their first book published in the last couple years. Not only would I have liked to see some non-fiction writers tell their story (surely non-fiction writers struggle with finding a publisher), but I would’ve liked to have seen authors from other English-speaking countries (is the process the same as in the US?) and from other fields of fiction; as well as stories from authors who have been published for more than a year or two…
http://www.amazon.com/How-Got-Published-Famous-Authors/dp/1582975108
