| 100% | GHOSTWRITER | 11 | Real author, perhaps |
| 57% | PENCIL | 6 | Author's tool, perhaps |
| 57% | NOVEL | 5 | Author's creation, perhaps |
| 52% | SAMUEL | 6 | Real first name of author Mark Twain |
| 51% | PSEUDONYM | 9 | Not the author's real name |
| 49% | BLIXEN | 6 | Karen ___, real name of author Isak Dinesen |
| 49% | AGATHA | 6 | First real name of author Mary Westmacott |
| 49% | ELJAMES | 7 | Fifty Shades author, real name Erika Leonard |
| 49% | EMERIL | 6 | "Louisiana Real and Rustic" cookbook author Lagasse |
| 49% | OLE | 3 | Chant for Real Madrid, perhaps |
| 48% | KARENBLIXEN | 11 | Real name of the author of 19-Across: 2 wds. |
| 48% | SAMUELCLEMENS | 13 | Real name of "Huckleberry Finn" author Mark Twain: 2 wds. |
| 48% | EMERIL | 6 | Author of the cookbook “Louisiana Real and Rustic,” to fans |
| 48% | BRONTE | 6 | Real surname for the authors Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell |
| 46% | MACINTYRE | 9 | Ben, author of books about real spies and missions |
| 46% | GOTALIGHT | 9 | Question from a real bummer, perhaps? |
| 45% | HARRIS | 6 | Charlaine —, author of novels Real Murders and Dead Until Dark |
| 44% | THEODORGEISEL | 13 | Real name of "The Cat in the Hat" author Dr. Seuss: 2 wds. |
| 41% | NABOKOV | 7 | Vladimir —, author of the novels Lolita and The Real Life of Sebastian Knight |
| 39% | ETAL | 4 | Abbr. after the third co-author, perhaps |
| 39% | CHARLES | 7 | With 36-Across, real name of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" author Lewis Carroll |
| 36% | NONFICTION | 10 | Type of book where the author writes about real events like Michelle Obama's "Becoming": Hyph. |
| 35% | LEBANESE | 8 | From Beirut perhaps |
| 35% | ORIGAMI | 7 | Paper flowers perhaps |
| 35% | NINEPAGE | 8 | Essay length perhaps |
| 35% | SPADESARETRUMPS | 15 | Whist announcement perhaps |
| 35% | UFO | 3 | Alien spaceship perhaps |
| 35% | GENIC | 5 | DNA related perhaps |
| 35% | SOAR | 4 | Go parasailing perhaps |
| 35% | ACTUAL | 6 | Real |