James Patterson Learns His Fate: Chained to a Typewriter

All James Patterson wants for Christmas this year is an IBM Selectric, several drums of teletype paper, and maybe an espresso machine.

The Hachette Book Group announced today that it has finalized terms with the bestselling novelist and children’s book author on a deal that will see Patterson pounding out 17 books … in three years.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Hachette reported that 11 of the titles will be aimed at the adult market and will be released by Little, Brown and Company.

Seventeen books ready for delivery between now and the end of 2012 comes down to six books a year. A colleague who delivered the news this morning summed it up best: “Patterson is just going to be giving his audiences first drafts.”