'Fifty Shades' author debuts at No. 1 on earnings list

Britain's EL James, the writer of the "Fifty Shades of Grey" series of erotic novels, has made it onto the Forbes list of the world's top-earning authors - landing in first place.

James, a former television executive, surpassed regulars on the list, including James Patterson, Danielle Steel and Stephen King, with estimated earnings of USD 95 million in the year to June 2013, thanks to the titillating trilogy.

"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.com.

Former No. 1 Patterson came in second with earnings of USD 91 million, while Suzanne Collins, the author of "The Hunger Games" and the five-book series "The Underland Chronicles," was a distant third at USD 55 million.

The 2012 "The Hunger Games" blockbuster film, an adaptation of the novel, grossed USD 684 million worldwide.

Fox TV talk show host Bill O'Reilly, the author of "Killing Lincoln" and "Killing Kennedy," came in fourth with USD 28 million and Steel, with 128 book titles to her credit, was No. 5 with USD 26 million.

Dan Brown's "Inferno" was the best-selling book of 2013 so far, putting him in ninth place with USD 22 million. King just made it into the top 10 with earnings of USD 20 million. The hit US TV series "Under the Dome" is based on King's science fiction novel of the same name.

Forbes based its rankings on estimates on sales data, publishing figures and industry sources.