In case there is such as thing as a literary glass ceiling, it’s about to be shattered – with books for young adults and genre fiction from women writers.

According to Forbes’ List of the world’s highest-earning authors, female authors have made a significant financial step upwards this year: Besides household names such as Nora Roberts, Janet Evanovich or J.K. Rowling there has been one refreshingly new face in the top 10: Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games secured her a spot among the top earners.

Another “new” female author is eagerly waiting for the checks from book sales and movie rights to arrive so she can make next year’s list: We’re blushing in 50 Shades while looking at you, E.L. James.

Even though the topics of young adult fiction are clearly targeted towards a younger audience, the genre’s perfect mixture of escapism sprinkled with nostalgia consistently reaches fans across all age ranges, and female authors seem to hit the spot with their work: Children’s and Young Adult fiction is currently the fastest growing category in publishing. As seen above, it has become a lucrative business.

Of course writers don’t just write to make money, they also want the approval of their fans and a recent NPR poll of the 100 Best Teen Novels of all Times confirms Forbes’ more “grown-up” list: Harry Potter and The Hunger Games took the top spots.

Of the 100 teen novels chosen, over 60% were written by women authors- maybe it’s time to work on that New Year’s Resolution again and take a fresh look at those drafts in the drawer?

Photo Courtesy of The Telegraph.