Stratemeyer, Edward L (1862-1930)

US writer and book syndicate operator. From 1906 onwards he supplied the characters, plots, and authors' pen-names to a team of writers who over the years wrote more than 800 books under some 60 pseudonyms, including the Tom Swift series (by Victor Appleton) and the Hardy Boys series (by Franklin W Dixon). Stratemeyer himself probably wrote a total of another 220 books.

He was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. After graduating from high school and working in his father's tobacco shop, he began writing juvenile fiction, selling his first story in 1888. During the next decade he contributed to and edited various magazines. In 1894 he began his prolific output of series books, combining rags-to-riches sentiments with formulaic adventure plots. He founded the Stratemeyer Literary Syndicate in New York (later moving to New Jersey). After his death the syndicate was directed by his daughter, Harriet S Adams, who herself had created the Nancy Drew series (under the name of Carolyn Keene).

His pen-names included Arthur M Winfield, Horatio Alger, Jr, Captain Ralph Bonehill, and Nick Carter.