Editing Dean Koontz (section)

== Disputed authorship ==
A number of letters, articles, and novels were ostensibly written by Koontz during the 1960s and 1970s, but he has stated he did not write them. These include 30 [[Erotic literature#Erotic fiction|erotic novels]], allegedly written together by Koontz and his wife Gerda, including books such as ''Thirteen and Ready!'', ''Swappers Convention'', and ''Hung'', the last one published under the name "Leonard Chris". They also include contributions to the [[fanzine]]s ''Energumen'' and ''[[BeABohema]]'' in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including articles that mention the erotic novels,<ref name="efanzines">{{cite web|url=http://efanzines.com/Energumen/Energumen08.pdf |title="Dean's Drive", Energumen 8; June 1971, page 9 |publisher=efanzines.com|access-date=2015-04-06}}</ref><ref>''BeABohehma'' #8, 1970, ed. Frank Lunney; page 5</ref> such as a movie column called "Way Station"<ref name="way station">{{cite web|url=http://sjhtn2007.livejournal.com/3810.html|title=Round 8 of the auction|website=Sjhtn2007.livejournal.com|access-date=13 August 2017}}</ref> in ''BeABohema''.

Koontz wrote in ''How to Write Best Selling Fiction'', a much revised and updated version of 'Writing Popular Fiction' (1972),<ref>Writer's Digest Books, 1981, pp18</ref> "During my first six years as a full-time novelist ... I wrote a lot of ephemeral stuff; anything that would pay some bills ... I did Gothic romance novels under a pen-name ...  Like many writers, I did some pornography too, and a variety of other things, none of which required me to commit my heart or my soul to the task.  (This is not to say I didn't bother to do a good job; on the contrary, I never wrote down to any market, and I always tried to give my editors and readers their money's worth.)"  The Gothic novels are identifiable, but none of Koontz's acknowledged work fits into the latter category.

Koontz has stated on his website<ref name="collectors">{{cite web| title=Facts for Collectors | url=http://www.deankoontz.com/about-dean/collectors/ |work=deankoontz.com |access-date=2012-12-14}}</ref> that he used only the ten known pen names<ref name="collectors" /> and "there are no secret pen names used by Dean";<ref name="collectors" /> he adds that his own identity was stolen by "a person he had previously worked with professionally", who submitted letters and some articles to fanzines under Koontz's name between 1969 and at least the early 1970s.<ref name="collectors" /> Koontz has stated that he was only made aware of these bogus letters and articles in 1991 in a written admission from the identity thief. He has stated that he will reveal this person's name in his memoirs.<ref name="collectors" />