Franklin W. Dixon is a pseudonym used by a series of ghostwriters hired by the Stratemeyer Syndicate to write The Hardy Boys and Ted Scott Flying Stories, along with some Nancy Drew crossover stories. The pen name was used by a variety of authors to create beloved stories for young readers.

Canadian author Charles Leslie McFarlane is believed to have written the first sixteen Hardy Boys books, adhering to detailed plot and character outlines. These outlines are credited to Edward Stratemeyer, and later books were outlined by his daughters, Edna C. Squier and Harriet Adams. Edna and Harriet edited all books in the series through the mid-1960s. Other contributors included MacFarlane's wife, Amy, John Button, Andrew E. Svenson, and Adams herself, while most outlines originated from Adams and Svenson.

John W. Duffield was the principal author for the Ted Scott series. A number of other writers and editors were recruited to revise and update the texts in line with more modern sensibilities starting in the late 1950s.