Sarah J. Maas Net Worth

What Is Sarah J. Maas' Net Worth?

Sarah J. Maas is an American fantasy and romantasy author who has a net worth of $60 million.

Sarah J. Maas is the creator of three enormously successful literary universes: "Throne of Glass," "A Court of Thorns and Roses," commonly known as "ACOTAR," and "Crescent City." Her books have sold more than 75 million copies worldwide and have been published in approximately 40 languages, making her one of the most commercially successful fantasy writers of her generation.

Maas first built an audience online as a teenager before publishing "Throne of Glass" in 2012. She subsequently became a phenomenon through "A Court of Thorns and Roses," whose combination of fantasy, romance, adventure, and increasingly adult themes helped drive the explosion of the romantasy category and BookTok. Her back catalog became so powerful that years without a new Maas release could materially affect sales at her publisher, Bloomsbury.

Her fortune comes primarily from book royalties, publishing advances, foreign-language rights, audiobooks, licensing, special editions, and entertainment rights. Maas also regained the screen rights to her major properties after an attempted television adaptation of "A Court of Thorns and Roses" stalled.

Early Life

Sarah Janet Maas was born on March 5, 1986, in New York City and grew up on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

She became interested in fantasy at a young age and has cited books, animated series, classical music, film scores, and television shows including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as influences.

Maas attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, where she studied creative writing and religious studies. She graduated magna cum laude in 2008.

While still in college, Maas had already begun developing the story that eventually became "Throne of Glass."

"Throne of Glass"

Maas began writing the original version of "Throne of Glass" when she was a teenager.

She posted chapters online under the title "Queen of Glass," building a substantial readership years before the novel reached bookstores. Maas eventually removed the story from the internet, extensively rewrote it, and pursued traditional publication.

Bloomsbury published "Throne of Glass" in 2012.

The novel follows assassin Celaena Sardothien and developed into a sprawling fantasy series incorporating magic, kingdoms, warfare, romance, and political intrigue.

The main series ultimately included "Crown of Midnight," "Heir of Fire," "Queen of Shadows," "Empire of Storms," "Tower of Dawn," and "Kingdom of Ash," along with the prequel collection "The Assassin's Blade."

The success established Maas alongside major contemporary fantasy authors such as George R.R. Martin and Suzanne Collins as writers capable of sustaining enormous global audiences across multibook series.

"A Court of Thorns and Roses"

Maas launched "A Court of Thorns and Roses" in 2015.

The series initially drew inspiration from fairy tales including "Beauty and the Beast," but quickly expanded into a much larger fantasy world centered around Feyre Archeron, magical courts, political alliances, and romantic relationships.

The books include "A Court of Mist and Fury," "A Court of Wings and Ruin," "A Court of Frost and Starlight," and "A Court of Silver Flames."

"ACOTAR" experienced an enormous second wave of popularity years after its launch as readers discovered it through TikTok and BookTok. The phenomenon helped establish romantasy as one of publishing's most lucrative categories.

Bloomsbury later announced two additional novels, "A Court of Splintered Harmony" and "A Court of Forgotten Melody," with publication dates in October 2026 and January 2027.

The fandom surrounding Maas has frequently been compared with the intensely engaged readerships created by authors such as Stephenie Meyer and J.K. Rowling.

(Photo by Frank May/picture alliance via Getty Images)

"Crescent City"

Maas launched her third major series with "House of Earth and Blood" in 2020.

Unlike her earlier books, the "Crescent City" series was marketed directly toward adult fantasy readers. The series continued with "House of Sky and Breath" and "House of Flame and Shadow."

"House of Flame and Shadow" became one of the biggest publishing releases of 2024. That year, Maas sold nearly five million print books in the United States during roughly the first five months alone, even though only a fraction came from the new release. The majority represented continued sales from her back catalog.

Book Sales and Publishing Earnings

Maas' books have sold more than 75 million copies worldwide.

Her commercial importance extends beyond individual bestsellers. Bloomsbury has repeatedly cited Maas in its financial reports, with years containing major Maas releases producing substantial increases in consumer publishing revenue and years without new titles producing difficult comparisons.

Her income comes from royalties on hardcover, paperback, digital, and audiobook sales, along with advances, international rights, special editions, licensing, and other publishing agreements.

Maas' catalog is particularly valuable because readers frequently purchase entire multibook series after discovering one title, giving her older books unusually long commercial lives.

Television Adaptation

A television adaptation of "A Court of Thorns and Roses" was announced for Hulu in 2021, with Maas working alongside television producer Ron Moore.

The project spent several years in development but did not ultimately move forward.

Maas later revealed that she had regained the adaptation rights to her work. She said gaining greater control over future screen versions was important to her and expressed a desire to ensure that any eventual adaptation reflects her vision of the books.

Personal Life

Maas met Josh Wasserman during her first year at Hamilton College, where he was a resident assistant in her dormitory.

The couple married in May 2010 and have two children.

Maas has generally kept her family life relatively private despite the enormous online fandom surrounding her books.

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