The Tale of a "Terrible" Writer

There’s a novelist who has become very wealthy in the cut throat world of publishing.

His name is James Patterson. Perhaps you’ve heard of him. He is presently writing a crime fiction book with Bill Clinton.

What you may or may not know about Patterson is he worked his way up in the advertising industry from junior copywriter to become CEO of J. Walter Thompson North America. JWT was one of the premiere ad agencies in the world with accounts like Kraft Foods, Burger King and Toys ‘R’ Us.

Patterson has written nearly 150 novels. He has been the world’s best-selling author since 2001 (ahead of J.K. Rowling, John Grisham – and even Dr. Seuss), with over 300 million copies of his books in print. He has a team of co-writers, several TV deals and an annual income of nearly $100 million. His total income over a decade is estimated at $700 million and Forbes lists him as the wealthiest author.

Humble Beginnings

Out of high school, Patterson worked at a psychiatric cente r and read books while there, to pass the time. He went to Manhattan College for his undergraduate degree and then Vanderbilt University for his masters.

His first book, The Thomas Perryman Number, about a Nashville newspaperman on a murderer’s tail, was rejected by 31 publishers before Little, Brown published it in 1976. He wrote it while he was working at J. Walter Thompson. It sold about 10,000 copies. He moved up from junior copywriter at JWT to become the youngest creative director in the firm’s history.

Breakthrough

Patterson’s breakthrough book, Along Came a Spider, was the first of his Alex Cross books. Alex Cross is an African American homicide detective in Washington, DC. The author promoted it using advertising, which was unheard of in the publishing industry.

The ad rolled out in three thriller markets: Washington, DC, Chicago and New York. The book debuted at #9 on the best seller lists and rose to #2. The #9 ranking afforded it favorable shelf location near the entrance of the store. This prime physical position is probably the biggest single factor affecting book sales. There are now over 5 million copies of Along Came a Spider in print. Alex Cross became a booming franchise.

He changed the model

His books include short chapters and reminders of what happened prior, in case readers put the book down the night before. And the books also include a bonus “free preview” of another book he has written. He knows what’s going to grab people. His books beckon the reader, as if to say, “Buy me, read me. I’m not Ulysses!”

Before Patterson made it big, the conventional wisdom was that you couldn’t mass market authors. Selling a book as if it were laundry detergent would backfire, they said. He changed the model. Patterson’s success encouraged Little, Brown to embrace mass-market fiction. He paved the way for writers like Malcolm Gladwell, who might have several best-sellers on the charts simultaneously – much like Ivory® and Joy® dishwashing liquid.

These days

He is very involved in the designing, marketing and advertising of his books. His target market is largely women, who are Patterson’s faithful readers. He works with a special staff at Little Brown, which is owned by Hachette, and is believed to account for 30% of their revenues.

He now produces a dozen to 20 books a year. He writes seven days a week, 365 days a year. His books are published in 38 different languages. At 67 titles, he has the most NY Times bestsellers. One out of every 17 novels bought in the United States is one of his.

Related: The Hard Work Comes AFTER You Write Your Book

He owns a home in Palm Beach, which he paid $17.5 million for, and is now worth much more.

Nearly all of his books are published several times – first as traditional books, then as pocket-sized, mass-market paperbacks. It reminds me of the Beatles’ White Album (formally called The Beatles). It is their only two record album. The rumor was that if you played it backwards, you heard someone say “Paul is dead.” Those who bought into that myth and tried it had to go out and buy another copy of the group’s most expensive record because playing it backwards ruined the grooves. That’s some pretty astute marketing.

Patterson has written in just about every genre – science fiction, fantasy, romance, graphic novels, YA and non-fiction. His fastest growing category is YA.

Stephen King called him a “terrible writer.”