I wrote a million words in the first year, and I could never have done that outside of prison.

At this time his mother Lola contributed a column "Over the teacups" to the local press in Weston-super-Mare and wrote about the adventures of her son 'Tuppence'; this caused Archer to be the victim of bullying while at Wellington School. Archer's books have sold at least 250 million copies worldwide. His website includes.

Archer's books have sold at least 250 million copies worldwide. His political career ended with his conviction and subsequent imprisonment (2001–03) for perjury and perverting the course of justice in a (successful) libel case which followed his second resignation. Later after a reversal in his fortunes from the royalties of his best-selling novels he became deputy chairman of the Conservative Party (1985–86) before resigning after another scandal which would ultimately lead to the end of his political career.