Rise to Success: Career Highlights of James Patterson

How James Patterson built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

James Patterson is a prolific American author best known for his thriller and crime novels, including the Alex Cross and Women's Murder Club series. With over 425 million books sold worldwide, he's one of the best-selling authors of all time and a pioneer in e-book sales. He's consistently ranked among the highest-paid authors, topping Forbes' list for multiple years and earning hundreds of millions of dollars throughout his career.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1976: Publication of First Novel

In 1976, James Patterson published his first novel, 'The Thomas Berryman Number'.

The Thomas Berryman Number

Check it on Amazon

1996: Retirement from Advertising

In 1996, James Patterson retired from his advertising career at J. Walter Thompson to focus on writing full-time.

2005: James Patterson PageTurner Awards Founded

In 2005, James Patterson founded the James Patterson PageTurner Awards, donating over $100,000 to promote books and reading.

2008: Most Borrowed Author in Britain

In 2008, James Patterson became the most borrowed author in Britain's libraries, replacing Jacqueline Wilson.

2008: ReadKiddoRead Initiative

In 2008, the James Patterson PageTurner Awards were put on hold to focus on Patterson's new initiative, ReadKiddoRead.com, which assists in finding books for children.

September 2009: Book Deal

In September 2009, James Patterson signed a deal to write or co-write 11 books for adults and six for young adults by the end of 2012.

2010: Top-Selling Detective Series

As of 2010, James Patterson's Alex Cross series was the top-selling U.S. detective series of the 2010s, with Patterson's novels outselling those of Stephen King, John Grisham, and Dan Brown combined in recent years.

2012: Completion of Book Deal

By the end of 2012, James Patterson was expected to have completed the book deal signed in September 2009, which included writing or co-writing 11 books for adults and six for young adults.

2013: Continued Reign as Most Borrowed Author

In 2013, James Patterson continued to be the most borrowed author in Britain's libraries, maintaining his position since 2008.

2013: Ads to Save Books

In 2013, James Patterson took out ads in Publishers Weekly and The New York Times Book Review titled "Who Will Save Our Books? Our Bookstores? Our Libraries?", expressing concern for the future of literature.

November 2015: Literarian Award

In November 2015, James Patterson received the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation in recognition of his contributions to literacy.

2015: James Patterson Pledge

In 2015, James Patterson established the James Patterson Pledge with Scholastic Book Clubs to provide books to young readers.

2016: Highest-Paid Author

In 2016, James Patterson topped Forbes's list of highest-paid authors for the third consecutive year, with an income of $95 million.

May 2017: Co-Authoring with Bill Clinton

In May 2017, it was announced that James Patterson would co-author a crime fiction book with former U.S. President Bill Clinton, titled 'The President Is Missing'.

The President Is Missing: A Novel

Check it on Amazon

2017: Research on Patterson's Writing Process

In 2017, digital humanities scholars Simon Fuller and James O'Sullivan published research showing that Patterson's role in collaborative writing primarily involves story development rather than extensive sentence-level writing.