China Business Post released a list last week ranking China's authors by income.
From the start it was a coarse measurement - number of books in print over the last decade multiplied by the list price, and then adjusted for a standard 10% royalty. The report then notes that 10% is just an average value used purely for convenience; royalties typically range from 8% to 12%. And print runs were taken from the books' copyright pages, which often give a rather broad range, or from the publishers themselves, who have been known to manipulate numbers.
And income from other sources - sale of film rights, appearance fees, endorsements - don't come into play at all.
So it's not a particularly useful or meaningful list, but since we like lists here at Danwei, we might as well run it.
The list (with a recent or representative work and income in yuan):
1. Yu Qiuyu (余秋雨) - essays on culture and history: 14 million
2. Eryuehe (二月河) - imperial fiction, The Great Emperor Kangxi (康熙大帝): 12 million
3. Han Han (韩寒) - YA, The Ideal City (一座城池): 9.5 million
4. Su Tong (苏童) - CF, The Myth of Meng Jiang Nu (碧女): 9 million
5. Guo Jingming (郭敬明) - YA, I5land: 8.5 million
6. Tang Haoming (唐浩明) - historical fiction, Zeng Guofan (曾国藩): 8.2 million
7. Yi Zhongtian (易中天) - popular history, particularly Three Kingdoms: 8 million
8. Zheng Yuanjie (郑渊洁) - children's fairy tales: 7.8 million
9. Yang Hongying (杨红樱) - children's lit: 7.5 million
10. Jiang Rong (姜戎) - Wolf Totem: 7.2 million
11. Annie Baobei (安妮宝贝) - CF, romance, Padma (莲花): million
12. Wang Meng (王蒙) - CF, Green Fox (青狐): 5 million
13.Chen Zhongshi (陈忠实) - CF, White Deer Plain (白鹿原): 4.55 million
14. Jia Pingwa (贾平凹) - CF, Shaanx-centered, Local Language (秦腔): 4.2 million
15. Tie Ning (铁凝) - CF, Ben Hua Village (笨花): 4 million
16. Hai Yan (海岩) - CF, often crime-related, Jade Guan-yin (玉观音): 3.8 million
17. Zhou Meisen (周梅森) - CF, Absolute Power (绝对权力): 3.75 million
18. Zhang Ping (张平) - bureaucratic fiction, National Official (国家干部): 3.55 million
19. Yu Hua (余华) - CF, Brothers (兄弟): 3.5 million
20. Mo Yan (莫言) - CF, Birth, Death and Fatigue (生死疲劳): 3.45 million
21. A Lai (阿来) - CF, Red Poppies (尘埃落定): 3.3 million
22. Chi Li (池莉) - CF, Life Show (生活秀): 3.2 million
23. Zhang Yueran (张悦然) - 80s writer, A Sunflower Lost in 1890 (葵花走失在1890): 3 million
24. Liu Xinwu (刘心武) - popular literary analysis, particularly Dream of the Red Mansion: 2.75 million:
25. Liu Zhenyun (刘震云) - CF, Cell Phone (手机): 2.5 million
