Fun Facts Friday: Edward Stratemeyer

Edward Stratemeyer (4 October, 1862 – 10 May, 1930) was a writer, publisher, and creator of the Stratemeyer Syndicate that produced over 1,300 beloved novels, including the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and Bobbsey Twins series.

Books by Edward Stratemeyer*

1. Mr. Stratemeyer was born in Elizabeth, NJ. His parents were both immigrants from Hanover, Germany.
2. As a teen, Mr. Stratemeyer had his own printing press which he kept in the basement of his father’s tobacco shop. He printed flyers and pamphlets for friends and family.
3. After high school, he kept working at his father’s shop. At age 26 Mr. Stratemeyer sold his first story to Golden Days, a children’s magazine. The author was paid $76, six times his weekly paycheck.
4. In 1980 Mr. Stratemeyer moved to Newark, NJ to open a paper store and write stories under different names.
5. Richard Dare’s Venture (1894), the first in the Bound to Succeed series, was the first full length book he published.
6. Mr. Stratemeyer pioneered the book packaging technique using a team of freelance writes for a long running series.
7. The author’s two daughters took over the Stratemeyer Syndicate after their dad.
8. Mr. Stratemeyer loved the outdoors and spent every summer on trips.
9. After he passed away, the New York Times reported that the Rover Boys series sold in excess of 5,000,000 copies.
10. Many of the books he published are still in publication to this day.

Books by Edward Stratemeyer*

Zohar — Man of la Book
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account