The Bestselling Novel in the Age of Sidney Sheldon : Books: Youth may be the rule in Hollywood, but the author is going stronger than ever at 73.

There are serious accusations of ageism leveled against Hollywood’s hiring of writers and directors. One of the given reasons is that only young creators know how to address a young audience. The other and more probable reason is that so many of the hiring executives are very young and uncomfortable about hiring those who are older and more experienced than themselves.

A recent bitter Hollywood joke had a director saying that he was going to a meeting with a studio executive but had to stop at Toys R Us first.

The folly of ageism is demonstrated by the remarkable and ongoing career of Sidney Sheldon, who at the age of 73 has yet another bestseller on his hands. “Memories of Midnight” had a first printing of 1.1 million copies in hardcover and has already gone back for a second printing. It is high on all the better bestseller lists.

His next novel, “The Doomsday Conspiracy,” has already been taken--unread--for the movies by producer Joel Silver, which hints that while the industry may be dumb about age, it is not suicidally stupid.

Sheldon in fact only lately finished writing, or rewriting, the new book and flew off to the Bahamas where, following a long-standing tradition, he reads the manuscript to his publishers for their suggestions, if any. “I grab ‘em if they’re helpful,” Sheldon said a few mornings before he left for the Bahamas. Otherwise he has the author’s equivalent of final cut.

He was just tidying up the 10th revision of the novel when we talked, and he showed me some yellow markers he had put on various drafts, presumably to give heart to his valiant secretaries. “Absolutely Positively Final Draft 2,” one of them read. It followed the unnumbered “Absolutely Positively Final Draft,” which followed “Final Draft,” which fooled no one.

He dictates a first draft, commencing, he says, with only a character--”a female ambassador, a female defense attorney.” The plot comes out as he talks his way through as many as 50 pages a day. Then the long revisions begin.

In times past Sheldon has promoted his books by long and exhausting personal appearance tours. For “Memories of Midnight” he hit 65 cities in two days without leaving a television studio in Los Angeles, thanks to the technological miracle of the satellite.

“I sat in front of the camera and did an interview every 15 minutes, 35 the first day, 30 the second.” A placard beside the camera would tell him where he was. If it’s 7 a.m., this must be Oklahoma City. He could hear but not see the questioners; they could of course see him and would later incorporate the footage into local shows.

Sheldon says he was never particularly fluid as a concocter of plots until he produced the TV series “The Patty Duke Show,” and insisted on doing all the stories himself. He hadn’t realized, he said, that this was unheard of and next to impossible. But the ideas flowed and have continued ever since.

In addition to his regular writing, he has been doing stories for a Japanese publisher, to be translated into Japanese as part of an English-learning course. Sheldon has been active in the fight against illiteracy in the United States. Not long ago, with the encouragement of his literary agent, Mort Janklow, Sheldon gave money to launch a newspaper at Erasmus Hall, a long-prestigious Brooklyn high school set in a fast-changing environment.

“I met with the kids,” Sheldon says. “They’re great, and I think the paper’s bringing them all together. I’m at a point where I can give something back, and I think that everyone who can do it should do it.”

Remarried a year ago after the death of his wife, Jorja, Sheldon and his bride, Alexandra Kostoff, have bought Andrew Lloyd Webber’s flat in London and in February will go over to look for a country house as well, dividing their time between Britain and Los Angeles.

He has a multimillion-dollar contract for the next four books--three novels (already in mind) and an autobiography. The only thing, he says, is that the books get harder all the time.

“Each has been doing about 15% better than the one before. The readers trust me. They buy before the reviews are out. They don’t care what the critics say. It’s a responsibility for me. I have to keep satisfying them.”