I did the first Parker novel, in which he got caught, and the editor at Pocket Books took me to lunch and said, 'Is there any way that this guy could get away at the end, and you could do three books a year for us?' And I said, 'I think so.'
The thing is - do we really need another writer who writes a book every eighteen months, whether the quality is wonderful or not? I mean, maybe. But I can name twenty off the top of my head who do it. Maybe what we need is a writer like me who goes very slow, as well.
I try to get through a book every two weeks.
I'll read a book every now and then, but unlike most of my friends I don't always have one on the go.
You're always told by your publisher that you must only write one book a year and some years you should perhaps write none at all.
So far it's 43 books in 25 years.
I manage to read about one book a month, all fantasy these days.
I write at a pace that suits me, and sometimes it's two books a year, but most often it's one.
I only did about one novel a year while I was working full time, but since 1993, I've averaged two and a half books a year.
I don't want to wait more than a year and a half or two years between books.
I finish two books a week, mostly nonfiction.
Anyone who's familiar with my writing schedule knows that there is always plenty of time between books for me!
