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If you go to any large book retailer such as Barnes and Noble, or even a supermarket like Walmart, you will probably see that most of the shelves are dominated by one author: James Patterson.
Patterson can sometimes release up to 10 novels a month, a truly incredible and – you might think – impossible figure.
How is it humanly possible for one person to write this many novels, especially in such a short space of time?
Well, take a close look and you’ll find the answer. James Patterson doesn’t write this many novels single-handedly.
In small print you will be able to see that there is another writer, and perhaps even a third writer, helping him pump out his novels.
So what exactly is going on, and why is this a problem? We’ll attempt to answer both questions below.
How Does James Patterson Write So Many Books?
If you take a quick look at James Patterson’s website, you’ll soon stumble upon a rather astonishing fact.
In 2021, just under 200 books were going to be released that year by Patterson.
These releases covered a wide range of genres, from crime to fantasy, suspense to children’s fiction, and even a collaboration with the former president Bill Clinton.
If you dig deeper you’ll stumble across some more mind-blowing statistics.
On his website, James Patterson provides a handy checklist for fans of his work who wish to own all of his novels.
This is almost a Herculean task, as his bibliography is reaching 300 separate novels.
Not only do you need a lot of dedication to collect every single one of these books, but pretty deep pockets.
Let’s compare James Patterson with another famously prolific writer, Stephen King. He currently has written just over 60 novels.
An impressive number, but compared to Patterson, King seems almost lazy!
Any Stephen King fan who avidly collects his books will tell you that his bibliography fills up the average-sized bookcase, but if you want to own the entire bibliography of James Patterson, you’ll need to flip one room in your house into a full-blown library.
It isn’t exactly a secret that James Patterson doesn’t write his own books. However, it wasn’t always this way.
At the start of his career, Patterson did write his own books. Patterson found success quickly, with his books becoming hugely popular.
He has now established himself as somewhat of a publishing mogul.
Instead of writing his own work, he gives his credibility to ghostwriters who write stories that are then published under the James Patterson banner.
It was once said that Patterson did write the outlines to his books which a writer, or perhaps a team of writers, would then fill in, but some are starting to doubt he even does this anymore.
Ardent critics of Patterson now view his name on new releases as nothing but a marketing gimmick, and feel that he has traded in artistic integrity for commercial success.
To them, his name has become nothing more than a trademark. Critics further state that books under the name of James Patterson have now become nothing more than pulp fiction.
Why Is This A Problem?
Martin Scorsese ignited an interesting debate in the film world when in an article published in Harpers, he criticized the new studio system, and mega franchises like Marvel and DC in particular, and the problem with turning art into a product.
Scorsese argued that not only does it dilute the importance of film as a medium, but it makes it difficult for more varied stories to be told.
You can easily compare Scorsese’s view to the case of James Patterson, and many bookworms are worried the same thing Scorsese described is happening in the literary world.
We’ve all headed to our nearest book retailer to look for a new book or two to read, only to see the shelves filled with the same old names.
For some this is the consequence of art being a product to sell, generated by an industry in constant search of quick profits, and increasingly not caring about the effort put into these works, and subsequently, their literary value.
James Patterson has essentially set up a successful content farm that is constantly pumping out material, in which new and upcoming authors can’t hope to compete.
A lot of authors have given up trying to compete, figuring that if you can’t beat ‘em, you might as well join ‘em.
New novels have hit the shelves from the likes of Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton lately.
These are deceased authors who have ghostwriters writing on behalf of their estates.
If this is any indication of where the publishing world is heading, James Patterson will continue to publish books long after he’s passed away.
There is hope, however. While it is becoming harder for new, lesser known authors to make their voices heard, luckily they are still trying to get their works out there and publishers are still giving them a chance.
But the likes of James Patterson, and even prolific authors like Stephen King are formidable rivals.
The more that works published by content farms continue to fill the shelves, the less likely it is that new voices are going to get discovered.
Final Thoughts
You might be wondering what we can do about this. Well, on an individual level, one thing we as readers can do is stop buying books that are produced this way.
It might be tempting to reach for a familiar name like Patterson, but resist the urge to pick his books up and instead seek out new – and importantly original – work.
In the age of the internet, it’s now easier than ever before for independent creators to get their voices heard, but breaking into the publishing industry still remains tough.
The majority of new writers are nowhere near as wealthy as Patterson, with many barely making ends meet.
But by buying their work and recommending their work to others, you can make a difference to their sales that means they can make a living, and pull them out of obscurity.
I first had the idea for Seeking A Good Book when I was in college and everyone would come to me for book recommendations. More often than not, everyone I recommended a book to would always come back with a glowing review of it.
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