ABANDONED. 80s big name author wrote under pen name due to 1 book/year limit

[Mercia]

Back in the mid 80s I read a book by a big-name male author who in the introduction explained that he was writing under a pen name as it was the only way that his publisher would accept him having a second book published in the same year. I read a lot of thrillers back then, but it might have been a crime or science fiction as I read those as well. I recall that it was a book that I had bought newly published and read it in a house we left in 1985, so that would make it maybe 1983-85, but the book may not have been newly published.

[Kirstin]

I know that's the reason Stephen King wrote under the name Richard Bachman. Could be the reason a lot of writers use though?

[Julia]

Was it the Stephen King / Richard Bachman books?

[Mercia]

No not Richard Bachmann, I checked through those books and none ring a bell.

[Kirstin]

These are pen names used by Dean Koontz;

Aaron Wolfe, Brian Coffey, David Axton, Deanna Dwyer, John Hill, K.R. Dwyer, Leigh Nichols, Anthony North, Owen West, Richard Paige

What was the book you read about?

[Mercia]

Kristin: I cannot remember anything about the book other than that introduction in which the author stated that the reason for the pen name was that his publisher refused to let him have two books under his brand name in the same year. I did a bit of internet searching and I am beginning to suspect that it was Harry Patterson using his real name rather than his pen name of Jack Higgins. He did bring out a book called Dillinger in 1983, which is a plot I can't recall. I did read Solo but I think that was always a Jack Higgins.

[Sophie]

Michael Crichton as John Lange?

[Mercia]

Not John Lange but thanks for the clue to Michael Crichton being even taller than my brothers (6'9" vs 6'4"). This would have been someone publishing under a pseudonym for the first time and mentioning it in an introduction and I think it would have been newly published in the early 80s, so Lange is too early. Although I'm thinking it could not be Harry Patterson either as Dillenger was the last Patterson not the first. The book definitely had a red cover with little else on it except black lines. I am trying to identify it in response to someone who commented that in the old days (they meant pre-2005!) authors just could not publish more than once a year.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Mercia left the group. Moving to Abandoned.