The Girl on the Train writer Paula Hawkins joins world's top-earning authors

Paula Hawkins worked as a financial journalist before writing The Girl on the Train

British author Paula Hawkins, whose novel The Girl on the Train has become a major hit, has joined the list of the world's biggest-earning authors.

The London writer was the only new entry on the Forbes magazine list.

She earned $10m (£7.5m) in the year from June 2015 thanks to global sales of 11 million and a film deal for The Girl on the Train, according to Forbes.

That put her in ninth place. The top spot went to James Patterson for the third year running, with $95m (£71m).

Diary of a Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney was second, earning $19.5m (£14.7m), closely followed by Harry Potter creator JK Rowling on $19m (£14.3m).

Forbes magazine's highest-paid authors 2016:

• 1. James Patterson - $95m

• 2. Jeff Kinney - $19.5m

• 3. JK Rowling - $19m

• 4. John Grisham - $18m

• 5=. Stephen King - $15m

• 5=. Danielle Steel - $15m

• 5=. Nora Roberts - $15m

• 8. EL James - $14m

• 9=. Paula Hawkins - $10m

• 9=. Veronica Roth - $10m

• 9=. John Green - $10m