Fifty Shades of Grey author EL James has topped a list of the world's highest earning authors.
The British writer - who became a sales phenomenon last year - took an estimated $US62 million (over NZ$77 million) according to the data compiled by Forbes magazine.
James, whose real name is Erika Leonard, made her debut on the magazine's list of the top-earning authors this year.
A film adaptation of the first of her Fifty Shades erotica trilogy is expected next year for which she is believed to have pocketed more than $US3 million for the rights, according to Forbes.
James Patterson, the author behind the Alex Cross novels, is second having generated almost $US60 million in the survey, based on sales data, published information and details from industry sources for the year to June.
