Making of the Books

Featuring: A glimpse into how the books get made. Ever wonder how a Sweet Valley book gets made? This section focuses on the writers, book packagers, cover artists and the publishing houses who make it all possible.





Ghost Writers

"The idea of “the author” seems basic enough; a person who brings something to life that didn’t previously exist. It’s difficult to find that kind of strength in a work where the name on the cover is only made up, the real work done by any number of people. Sometimes, as is the case with Sweet Valley High and Gossip Girl, the name on the cover is real, but the person who wrote it is very different." - Losing Sight of Literature: The Commodity of Book Packaging

Book packager, Dan Weiss started the company Sweet Dreams and created a “Harlequin romance for kids” series called Sweet Valley High. The series was written entirely under the name of Francine Pascal, a real woman who wrote very few of them, but instead wrote the outlines that she would then hand off to ghostwriters. As can be found and noted within the ghostwriters section of the site, the books within the Sweet Valley series, weren't actually written by Francine Pascal herself. Instead, she would work with a select number of editors, of whom she would pitch forth her storyline ideas to. These would then be sent on to a number of ghost writers, who would then go on to develop the plots in to long-lengthed story lines. In the early stages of development, the ghostwriters were hired on the basis of actually being long-term readers themselves; this was to ensure that they were deeply attached and aware of the Sweet Valley stories and characters. However, when the Sweet Valley series started to branch out and produce several other spin-offs within the series itself, a “Sweet Valley bible” – a big document listing all the characters, places, relationships, and other little details of the Sweet Valley world, was sent out along with a manuscript of the previous book, so as that the writer would know what had just recently happened and catch them up to speed. Below is a list of some of the wonderful and talented ghostwriters, who went on to (ghost) write some of the books throughout the varying series’.

Sweet Valley Kids:
- Jennifer Armstrong

Sweet Valley Twins:
- Ann Martin (#1)
- Dori Hillestad Butler (#'s 93, 101, 109)
- Kimberly Morris (#'s 33,57,62,64,66,70,71,73,84,107; Super Edition #14; Super Chiller #'s 6,7)
- Michael Grant (#42)
- Linda Joy Singleton (#59)
- Peter Lerangis
- Rachel Plummer

Team Sweet Valley
- Dori Hillestad Butler (#1)

The Unicorn Club:
- Kimberly Morris (#'s 1,2,6,16,17,19,20-22)
- Dori Hillestad Butler (#'s 13, 15)

Sweet Valley Jr. High:
- Kimberly Morris (#'s 4,6)
- Nina Kiriki Hoffman (#12)

Sweet Valley High:
- Eileen Goudge (5 books out of the first 12)
- Amy Boesky (From book #17 onwards; alternating w/ another writer 'til 1990)
- Cathy Petrini (#'s 92,95,99,101,105,129; Super Editon #'s 7,9-11; Super Thriller #'s 9-11; Magna Edition #'s 6-9,11)
- Gene Hult/ J.E Bright (#'s 141; Super Edition #12)
- Jennifer Armstrong
- Peter Lerangis
- Rachel Plummer

Sweet Valley High: Senior Year:
- Anne E. Hill (#'s 29 and 37)

Sweet Valley University:
- Kimberly Morris (#'s 10,12,14,16,-19,21,35; Thriller Edition #2)
- Robynn Clairday (#'s 24,27,30)
- Gene Hult/ J.E Bright (Wrote outlines for #'s 25-29,31,33,42-44; Thriller Edition #'s 12-14)
- Amanda Howells (#41; Thriller Edition #'s 13 and 16)
- Cathy Petrini (Thriller Edition #1)
- Lizzie Skurnick

Elizabeth:
- Amanda Howells (#2)
- Lizzie Skurnick

Editor/ Continuity Editor

The Continuity Editor is then made go over the story and make sure that all the minor and major details are kept to a relatively consistent level within the story. They will also on occasions, deliberately choose to make a decision to change a particular character or their background; in order to meet the needs and requirements of a particular story purpose.
The Editor is then finally given the final last say as to what parts to include keep and which ones to exclude and cut out. They check that the overall tone and character structure and make either minor/ heavy changes themselves, as well as ensuring that it meets the initial storyline criteria set up by Francine Pascal. Below is a list of some of the book editors, who oversaw the books throughout the varying series’.

Sweet Valley High:
- Amy Berkower (Literary Agent)
- Eve Becker (1981 - 1984)
- Ben M. Baglio (1984/85 - 1989/90)
- Gene Hult/ J.E. Bright (1988 - 1992; 1994 - 1997)
- Kathleen Squires (1990 - 1993)
- Dan Ehrenhaft (1993 - 2009)

Sweet Valley High: Senior Year:
- Liesa Abrams (1999 - 2003)
- Wendy Loggia (1999 - 2003)

Sweet Valley University:
- Gene Hult/ J.E. Bright (1988 - 1992; 1994 - 1997)



Book Packager

Francine chose to go in to business with a book packager instead of going directly to the publishing house. A book packager creates the book - designs the cover and dates the novel, and then goes on to send off the almost-finished product to the publishing house for it to be put together. During Sweet Valley’s run within the publishing industry, Francine worked with two/ three different book packagers: The Cloverdale Press Inc., Daniel Weiss Associates and 17th Street Productions.

Cloverdale Press Inc.: The first book packager, which Francine used for the very first book release Sweet Valley High’s, Double Love, in 1983, all the way ‘til 1997. Eve Becker (Editor, Books for Young Readers), who worked at Cloverdale Press, New York, N.Y. from 1981-1984 helped in launching the Sweet Valley High series (roles included: developing the fiction series, acquiring new titles, working with the authors to prepare and revise manuscripts, shaped and edited manuscript texts, negotiated authors' contracts, wrote cover copys, supervised cover production and oversaw in-house and freelance staff)

Daniel Weiss Associates: The second book packager which Francine used and worked with for 10 years (1988 to 1998). This company served as the main and primary publisher behind the series’ multiple spin-off releases: Sweet Valley Kids, Sweet Valley Twins, Team Sweet Valley, The Unicorn Club and Sweet Valley University., as well as the later books within the Sweet Valley High series. Daniel Weiss Associates went on to be renamed 17th Street Productions.

17th Street Productions/ Alloy Entertainment/ Alloy Online, Inc. The third (and last) book packager that Francine has used for five years (1999 until 2003). This company - which was Francine Pascal’s own development company - dealt with the three remaining Sweet Valley spin-off series’: Sweet Valley Jr. High, SVH: Senior Year and Elizabeth. 17th Street is a leading developer and producer of fiction series for teens and produces over 150 titles a year. This company is also affiliated and under the parent company of, Daniel Weiss Associates, Inc. and Daniel Weiss



Cover Artists

With the exception of the Sweet Valley Jr. High, Sweet Valley High: Senior Year and Sweet Valley University covers; the other spin-off series’ – including the original Sweet Valley High series (#’s 1 - 128), were all illustrated pictures drawn by an exceptionally talented bunch of artists (1983 - 1997). Below is a list of some of the wonderfully creative artists, who went on to create the cover art for the covers throughout the varying series’.

Sweet Valley Kids:
- Susan Tang (#'s 1-68; Super Snooper #'s 1-7; Super Special #'s 1-5)
- Ying-Hwa Hu (Interior Illustrations #'s 1-68; Super Snooper #'s 1-7; Super Special #'s 1-5)
- Wayne Alfano (#'s 69-76)
- Marcy Ramsey (Interior Illustrations #'s 69-76)

Sweet Valley Twins:
- James Mathewuse (#'s 1-99, 101-103; Super Editon #'s 1-7; Super Chiller #'s 1-9; Magna Edition #'s 1-3)
- Sandro Rodorigo (#100/ Magna Edition #4 If I Die Before I Wake)
- Bruce Emmett (#'s 104-118; Super Edition #'s 8-12)

Team Sweet Valley:
- Robert Papp (#'s 1 & 2)

The Unicorn Club:
- James Mathewuse (#'s 1-15)
- Bruce Emmett (#'s 16-23)

Sweet Valley High:
- James Mathewuse (#'s 1-94; Super Edition #'s 1-6; Super Thriller #'s 1-5; Magna Edition #'s 5,6,8,9)
- Joe Danisi (#'s 95-99)
- Bruce Emmett (#'s 100-128; Super Edition #'s 7,8; Super Thriller #'s 6-10; Magna Edition #'s 2,4,7,10,11)
- Franco Accornero (Magna Edition #1 The Wakefield's of Sweet Valley)
- Keith Birdsong (Magna Edition #3 A Night to Remember)
- Randy Berrett (Sweet Valley High: Mini Doll-Booklets x3)



Cover Photography

The majority of the cover photography used for the books were mainly shot by photographer Michael Segal; who photographed the covers for the Sweet Valley Jr. High, the Sweet Valley High, as well as for the Sweet Valley Senior: Year series (apart from the SVH: Senior Year #46 and #48 books: Prom Night and Sweet 18, which were photographed by David Rinella). Whereas, Oliver Hunter photographed and designed the 'prop and background' covers for the Sweet Valley Twins/ High Bantam UK Editions. Additionally, the Sweet Valley Confidential UK cover was photographed by Colin Thomas.

Sweet Valley Twins:
- Oliver Hunter (UK prop 'n' backdrop editions)

Sweet Valley Jr High:
- Michael Segal (#'s 1-30)

Sweet Valley High:
- Michael Segal (#'s 129-143)
- Oliver Hunter (UK prop 'n' backdrop editions)

Sweet Valley High: Senior Year
- Michael Segal (#'s 1-45,47)
- David Rinella (#'s 46,48)

Sweet Valley Confidential:
- Smith Collection/ Getty Images and Vincent Alvarez/ folio-id (US edition)
- Colin Thomas (UK edition)



Publishing House

Book publishers, Bantam Books/ Bantam Dell (established in 1945) then takes, prints, and finally distributes and markets the books, Every book is released simultaneously in the United States and Canada, and then released around the world. Ghostwriter Kathleen M. Squires also oversaw the series, worked intensively with writers on revision, as well as line edit full-length manuscripts and write flap, cover, and catalog copy's (1990 - 1997)
In addition, as told by Dan Ehrenhaft to Shelli of the Market My Words blogsite "I used to edit and write cover copy's for the Sweet Valley High series and assist in their production. The company behind Sweet Valley High, Daniel Weiss Associates, eventually became Alloy Entertainment. I worked on and off there from 1993 to 2009."



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