Feb 5 2007

James Patterson is really an entertainment conglomerate.

By Jane • Publishing News •

Okay, I may be totally late to the publishing industry world and I confess to not reading much James Patterson (although I read Kiss the Girls and thought it was scary and gross: hello, the milk, the snake, the girl, eek!!!), but I didn’t realize that many of his novels are “co-written.” In the most recent release, Step on a Crack, Patterson wrote the outline and his co-author, Michael Ledwidge wrote everything else that was then edited by Patterson. He’s almost a publisher in some sense, finding works that are saleable and then publishing them under his name.

Asked why he has so many co-authors, he quips, “They can’t keep up with me.” In fact, he says, “I’m not a fast writer. I struggle through the writing. I’m not a craftsman. I’m OK. I can get it done. But I know it’s not my strength.”

A few books that he co-wrote:

When Patterson appeared on Today in 2005 to promote Mary, Mary, the 11th in his Alex Cross detective series, Matt Lauer popped a surprise quiz. He read excerpts from two Patterson novels and asked the author to name the books.

Via USA Today.

I wonder if this is where the questions about Nora Roberts generates. If Patterson, a man, can’t do it alone, how possibly could a woman?

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