| 100% | ROBERTBPARKER | 13 | Detective novelist who wrote nine books featuring 18-Across and 40 books featuring Spenser (3 wds.) |
| 52% | FAYEKELLERMAN | 13 | "The Quality of Mercy" novelist who has written 27 mysteries featuring 18-Across and 40-Across (2 wds.) |
| 48% | HUGHLOFTING | 11 | Novelist who wrote 12 books featuring 53-Across (2 wds.) |
| 45% | DANIELLESTEEL | 13 | Bestselling romance novelist who has written more than 200 books, including 18-Across and 43-Across (2 wds.) |
| 43% | DAVIDMITCHELL | 13 | English novelist who wrote "Cloud Atlas," "The Bone Clocks," and 18-Across (2 wds.) |
| 42% | LEIGHBARDUGO | 12 | American novelist who wrote 17-Across, 40-Across, and the "Shadow and Bone" trilogy (2 wds.) |
| 42% | LOUISEERDRICH | 13 | Native American novelist who wrote 18-Across, 44-Across, and 2020's "The Night Watchman" (2 wds.) |
| 42% | DONDELILLO | 10 | American novelist who wrote "Mao II," 18-Across, 25-Across, and 34-Across (2 wds.) |
| 40% | NEILGAIMAN | 10 | Fantasy novelist who wrote "American Gods" and "The Graveyard Book": 2 wds. |
| 39% | LIANEMORIARTY | 13 | Australian novelist who wrote "Nine Perfect Strangers," "Apples Never Fall," and 48-Across (2 wds.) |
| 39% | STEPHENKING | 11 | Novelist who wrote "The Shining" and 37-Across (2 wds.) |
| 37% | ANNNAPOLITANO | 13 | "Dear Edward" novelist who wrote 15-Across and 33-Across (2 wds.) |
| 36% | ANGIETHOMAS | 11 | Novelist who wrote the Y.A. bestsellers 17-Across and 29-Across (2 wds.) |
| 36% | JUDYBLUME | 9 | Novelist who wrote "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" and the other three frequently banned books in this puzzle (2 wds.) |
| 36% | CALEB | 5 | With 48-Across, novelist who wrote 40-Across and "The Angel of Darkness" |
| 36% | COLMTOIBIN | 10 | Irish novelist who wrote 17-Across, 26-Across, and 33-Across (2 wds.) |
| 36% | TONIMORRISON | 12 | 18-Across and 32-Across novelist who won the 1993 Nobel Prize for Literature (2 wds.) |
| 36% | WALTLONGMIRE | 12 | Sheriff of the fictional county of Absaroka, Wyoming, who is featured in 20 books by 40-Across and a 2012-2017 television series (2 wds.) |
| 36% | JOHNSINGLETON | 13 | Director of 18-Across and 40-Across who passed away in 2019 (2 wds.) |
| 36% | JKROWLING | 9 | British novelist and creator of characters in 8a who also wrote the screenplay for "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them": 3 wds. |
| 35% | NORAROBERTS | 11 | Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame novelist who wrote 12-Across and 25-Across (2 wds.) |
| 35% | NORAROBERTS | 11 | Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame novelist who wrote 17-Across and 29-Across (2 wds.) |
| 35% | ASHLEYELSTON | 12 | "10 Blind Dates" author who wrote 18-Across and 32-Across (2 wds.) |
| 35% | KAZUOISHIGURO | 13 | British novelist who wrote 19-Across and 31-Across and was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature (2 wds.) |
| 35% | JASONREYNOLDS | 13 | National Ambassador for Young People's Literature who wrote 18-Across and 39-Across (2 wds.) |
| 35% | JEFFERYDEAVER | 13 | "The Bone Collector" mystery novelist who created 18-Across and 44-Across (2 wds.) |
| 35% | THEGILDEDAGE | 12 | HBO historical drama that features both 18- and 33-Across: 3 wds. |
| 35% | THEGOODFIGHT | 12 | Paramount+ legal drama that features both 18- and 33-Across: 3 wds. |
| 35% | EDGARALLANPOE | 13 | American writer who is considered to be the inventor of the detective fiction, and wrote the poem, "The Raven": 3 wds. |
| 35% | HEATHERMORRIS | 13 | New Zealand novelist who wrote "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" and its sequels, 32-Across and 52-Across (2 wds.) |