James Patterson has built a publishing juggernaut. His publishing success all started with Little, Brown publishing Along Came a Spider in February 1993. In this episode we look at how he marketed his breakout hit. From cover design to targeted TV advertising, Patterson brought his expertise as CEO of a major advertising firm to book publishing.

Listen to Episode 7 to hear the begining of the story.

Bibliography

Along Came a Spider (1993) by James Patterson:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/along-came-a-spider-james-patterson/1100307468?ean=9780316693646

The Bridges of Madison County (1992) by Robert James Waller:
https://www.amazon.com/Bridges-Madison-County-Robert-Waller/dp/0446364495

The Client (1993) by John Grisham:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/72156/the-client-by-john-grisham/

Jurassic Park (1990) by Michael Crichton: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jurassic-park-michael-crichton/1100400615

Marketing James Patterson (2002) Harvard Business School case by John Deighton: https://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/505029-PDF-ENG

James Patterson by James Patterson (2022) by James Patterson:
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/james-patterson/james-patterson-by-james-patterson/9780316397537/

“The James Patterson Business” (2002) by Jeff Zaleski, Publishers Weekly:

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20021104/21533-the-james-patterson-business.html

People Discussed

00:15 | James Patterson – Best-selling thriller author; also covered in Episode 7
01:16 | Bill Clinton – 42nd U.S. President; co-author with Patterson
13:21 | Robert Gottlieb – Famed book editor, former editor-in-chief at Knopf, covered in Episode 5
16:00 | John Grisham – Legal-thriller novelist, author of The Client
16:30 | Michael Crichton - Scientific thriller writer, author of Jurassic Park, covered in Episode 6
17:47 | John Deighton – Harvard Business School professor; author of the HBS case on Patterson
21:20 | Burt Manning – Former CEO of J. Walter Thompson
22:31 | Jeff Zaleski – Publishers Weekly journalist; wrote “The James Patterson Business” article

It took James Patterson seven attempts before he found the right formula for a successful thriller. In this episode, we focus on Patterson break out commercial success, Along Came a Spider and answer the question of how he changed his writing, to find commercial success in his seventh book.

Bibliography:

Along Came a Spider (1993) by James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/Along-Came-Spider-Alex-Cross/dp/031606637X

The Thomas Berryman Number (1976) by James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Berryman-Number-James-Patterson/dp/0316473528

Season of the Machete (1977) by James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/Season-Machete-James-Patterson/dp/0446600603

The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth: https://www.amazon.com/Day-Jackal-Frederick-Forsyth/dp/0425276116

The Exorcist (1971) by William Peter Blatty: https://www.amazon.com/Exorcist-40th-Anniversary-William-Peter/dp/0061007226

The Silence of the Lambs (1988) by Thomas Harris: https://www.amazon.com/Silence-Lambs-Hannibal-Lecter/dp/0312924585

Mrs. Bridge (1959) by Evan S. Connell: https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Bridge-Evan-S-Connell/dp/1619027349

The Day America Told the Truth (1991) by James Patterson & Peter Kim: https://www.amazon.com/Day-America-Told-Truth-Shocking/dp/0446516383

James Patterson by James Patterson (2022) by James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/James-Patterson/dp/0316274001

People Discussed:

00:35 | James Patterson – best-selling thriller author and focus of the episode
03:50 | Francis Greenburger – literary agent who sold Patterson’s debut novel
06:45 | Stephen King – horror writer who was once critical Patterson’s work
12:10 | Richard Pine – agent who negotiated the million-dollar Along Came a Spider deal
12:20 | Larry Kirshbaum – then head of Time Warner Book Group backing the acquisition
12:25 | Charles “Charlie” Hayward – publisher leading Little, Brown
12:40 | Fredi Friedman – Patterson’s editor on Along Came a Spider
15:50 | Peter Kim – co-author of The Day America Told the Truth and J. Walter Thompson colleague

Micheal Crichton had his first hit book in 1969 when he was in his 20s. But 20-years later he was in a rut. Jurassic Park got him out of is rut, and his friend Micheal Ovitz helped turn it into a Steven Spielberg directed Hollywood blockbuster.

Hear the story of the creation of Jurassic Park, both the book and the movie that made Crichton one of the wealthiest writers in publishing and Hollywood.

Bibliography:

The Andromeda Strain (1969) by Michael Crichton: https://www.thriftbooks.com/browse/?b.search=crichton#b.s=mostPopular-desc&b.p=1&b.pp=50&b.oos&b.tile

Travels (1988) by Michael Crichton: https://www.amazon.com/Travels-Vintage-Departures-Michael-Crichton/dp/0804171270

Jurassic Park (1990) by Michael Crichton: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jurassic-park-michael-crichton/1100400615

Who Is Michael Ovitz? (2018) by Michael Ovitz: https://www.amazon.com/Who-Michael-Ovitz/dp/1591845548

People Discussed:

00:37 | Michael Ovitz - Hollywood super-agent, co-founder of Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

00:52 | Michael Crichton - Novelist and screenwriter, author of Jurassic Park

09:43 | Steven Spielberg - Film director tapped to helm the Jurassic Park movie

10:11 | Kate Capshaw - Actress and Spielberg’s wife

13:50 | Charlie Rose - PBS interviewer

Robert Gottlieb started in publishing in 1955. Just 10 years later he became editor-in-chief at publishing house Simon & Schuster. Following that, he went to Alfred A. Knopf, where he was again editor-in-chief. Over the course of his more than 60 year career, he became the most important editor in publishing, and edited hundreds of books. By his estimate, he edited more than 700, including books from Michael Crichton, Toni Morrison, former President Bill Clinton, and biographer Robert Caro.

Listen to hear advice from Gottlieb on editing, book design, marketing, and publishing.

Bibliography

Avid Reader: A Life (2017) by Robert Gottlieb

Gottlieb’s interview with Terry Gross/ Fresh Air

People Discussed in the Episode:

00:54 | Robert Gottlieb | Legendary book editor and publishing executive

01:57 | Robert Caro | Pulitzer-winning biographer of Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson

04:10 | Marion Fiery | Children’s book editor at Harper & Brothers

09:31 | Lauren Bacall | Hollywood actress

09:38 | Julia Child | American chef and television personality

14:20 | Terry Gross | Host of NPR’s Fresh Air

Overview

Follow Laura Ingalls Wilder’s journey from rejected memoir to successful first novel. To get there she needed the unsung help of editor Marion Fiery and then Virginia Kirkus. In this Part 2, finish the story of how Wilder wrote and got the first of the Little House books published.

What You’ll Hear

| Time | Topic
| 00:00 | Cold‑open & Intro
| 01:30 | PioneerGirl origins and rejections
| 04:39 | Marion Fiery’s editorial revisions & Knopf contract
| 11:52 | Knopf children’s division shutters
| 16:00 | Virginia Kirkus reads the manuscript
| 18:00 | New title, illustrator Helen Sewell, book deal
| 19:45 | April 1932 publication and early library buzz
| 20:40 | Theme recap
| 23:30 | Fiery’s unsung legacy & closing thoughts
| 26:00 | Bibliography & sign‑off

Timestamps are approximate.

Takeaways

• Responding to criticism and direction - Laura took criticism from, Rose, from Fiery, and from Kirkus. She dramatically changed her story into something totally different from what she first wrote. Laura was diligent in responding to suggestions and re worked her story to hit all of the points that Rose and Fiery though would make the book compelling for readers.
• Libraries Matter - One of the biggest drivers of sales for the first Little House book, was the interest and support of libraries and librarians.
• Quite Support Matters - To get her first book published, Laura needed the help of her daughter Rose, of Fiery, and or Kirkus. It was the quite support of Fiery that was essential to the book making it to publication. We should all look for opportunities to support excellence maybe especially when it comes in unexpected packages like a 65 year old trying to publish her debut novel.

Books Mentioned:

• Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (HarperCollins 1932)
• The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder (HarperCollins 1971) - Skip this one
• Laura Ingalls Wilder, A Writer's Life by Pamela Smith Hill (South Dakota Historical Society Press 2007)
• Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Frazier (Metropolitan Books 2017)

People Discussed:

Laura Ingalls Wilder | Author of the Little House series | 00:40

Rose Wilder Lane | Novelist and journalist | 01:46
Marion Fiery | Children’s book editor (Knop | 04:30

Graham Lorimer | Fiction editor at The Saturday Evening Post | 04:06

George Bye | Literary agent | 11:40

Virginia Kirkus | Children’s editor at Harper & Brothers; founder of Kirkus Reviews | 16:07

Helen Sewell | Illustrator of the first edition of Little House in the Big Woods | 19:05

Garth Williams | Illustrator of the 1950s Little House reprint editions | 19:19

Pamela Smith Hill | Biographer of Laura Ingalls Wilder | 27:12

Caroline Fraser | Journalist and author of Prairie Fires | 27:35

Support the Show:

Follow I’ll Probably Delete This on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app.

Also share the episode with anyone you think will like it.

Credits
Host / writer / editor: Will Jauquet
Cover art: Wili Joel Productions

© 2025 I’ll Probably Delete This. All rights reserved.

Episode Overview

At age 63, Laura Ingalls Wilder sat down with a No. 2 pencil and wrote a memoir she called Pioneer Girl. Following the stock market crash of 1929, it was her effort to preserve her stories and provide for her family. This episode tells the first part of the story of how, with the help of her daughter, she turned that rejected memoir into a seminal work in children’s literature Little House in the Big Woods.

What You’ll Hear

| Time | Topic
| 00:00 | Cold‑open & Intro
| 02:29 | Stage Setting - Harper & Bro published Little House in the Big Woods
| 03:45 | Motivation to write
| 06:55 | Writing process and revision
| 08:45 | State of children’s lit and agent Carl Brandt gets rejections
| 09:51 | Revisions
| 11:52 | Rose heads to NYC, fires her agent, and acts as agent for her mom
| 14:02 | Extracting a 20‑page children’s story set in Wisconsin woods
| 16:15 | Postscript: Pioneer Girl finally published in 2014
| 17:19 | Bibliography: Pioneer Girl
| 18:25 | Sign‑off

(Timestamps approximate)

Takeaways

• Sometimes the market doesn’t want what you want to write – Wilder couldn’t sell her memoir, agent Carl Brandt couldn’t sell it, and her daughter couldn’t sell it. She had to write her story in a way that appealed to editors and readers.
• Help Needed – Lane’s efforts and her experience were central to her mother’s success.
• Late Start – Laura’s late start in life at book writing and publishing, while wildly successful was not smooth. If not for her dozens of years of prior writing experience, and her daughters efforts and experience, there would be no Little House series.

Recommended Reading

• Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder, ed. Pamela Smith Hill (South Dakota Historical Society Press, 2014)
• Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (HarperCollins 1932)

People Discussed:

Laura Ingalls Wilder | 00:00:39
Rose Wilder Lane | 00:03:55
Carl Brandt (literary agent) | 00:08:49
Pamela Smith Hill (editor of PioneerGirl) | 00:17:47

Love the Show?

Follow I’ll Probably Delete This on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app.

Also share the episode with anyone you think will like it.

Credits
Host / writer / editor: Will Jauquet
Cover art: Wili Joel Productions

© 2025 I’ll Probably Delete This. All rights reserved.

Episode Overview

The start of the partnership between Dr. Seuss and publisher Random House. CEO Bennett Cerf wooed little known children’s author Theodor “Ted” Geisel. Beginning with a lunch at the 21 Club in NYC, Cerf showed Ted unwavering publisher support despite early flops like The Seven Lady Godivas. Cerf’s long bet on Geisel illustrates the importance of recognizing creative talent and the economic value of a strong backlist.

What You’ll Hear:

Time | Topic
00:00 | Cold‑open
01:05 | Intro
02:30 | Geisel’s first book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, 1937
05:40 | Cerf promises to publish anything Geisel writes, including a book with “naked ladies”
07:15 | Early releases in 1939: The King’s Stilts & the spectacular flop The Seven Lady Godivas
10:05 | Long‑term contract and WWII
13:20 | Modest post‑war titles
15:05 | Breakthrough and backlist
19:30 | Random House buys Vanguard Press in 1989 because of Seuss
21:15 | Betting on talent
23:00 | Bibliography & sign‑off

(Timestamps are approximate)

People Discussed:

Bennett Cerf | Publisher & co‑founder / long‑time CEO of Random House | 00:24

Theodor “Ted” Geisel/Dr. Seuss | Children’s author and illustrator | 00:35

Robert Bernstein | Publisher; CEO of Random House (1970‑1989) | 12:31

Judith Morgan | Biographer, co‑author of Dr. Seuss and Mr. Geisel | 13:46

Neil Morgan | Biographer, co‑author of Dr. Seuss and Mr. Geisel | 13:46

Brian J. Jones | Biographer, author of Becoming Dr.Seuss | 14:00

Some Takeaways:

• Commitment: Cerf’s “I’ll print anything you do” pledge shows how decisive belief in an author can change careers—and companies.
• Flops Aren’t Fatal: Even a disaster selling fewer than 50 copies didn’t shake Cerf’s confidence in Seuss.
• Backlist matters: Once Seuss became successful, every prior title turned into a perpetual revenue stream, for him and for Random House.
• It Can Take Time: Geisel’s real breakout books came 20 years after his debut.

Recommended Reading

1. Dr.Seuss & Mr.Geisel by Judith & Neil Morgan (Random House, 1995)
2. Becoming Dr.Seuss by Brian Jay Jones (Dutton / Penguin Random House, 2019)

Support the Show

• Follow and Subscribe: Follow I’ll Probably Delete This on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite player.
• Rate & Review: A quick ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ helps fellow book‑lovers find us.
• Spread the Word: Share the episode link with a friend who appreciates good stories and good books.

Credits

Host, writer, & editor: Will Jauquet
Cover art: Designed by Wili Joel Productions

©2025 I’ll Probably Delete This. All rights reserved.

Judith Jones, long-time editor for Alfred A. Knopf, persuaded the publisher to take a chance on a French cookbook that no one knew they wanted. That book and TV made Julia Child a surprising star. Learn about three themes that helped make Mastering the Art of French Cooking a publishing success: counter positioning, fascination with the Kennedys, and the rise of TV.

Bibliography

For more on Judith Jones and her work with Julia Child, read The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America by Sara B. Franklin

People Discussed in the Episode:

Julia Child | American chef, television personality, and co‑author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking | 00:19
Judith Jones | American literary and cookbook editor at Alfred A. Knopf | 01:17
Louisette Bertholle | French cook and co‑author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking | 02:10
Simone Beck | French cook, cooking teacher, and co‑author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking | 02:15
Sarah B. Franklin | American writer and biographer of Judith Jones | 08:58