[3] He began his career as a writer in 1905 working for the American magazine publisher Frank Munsey with whom he was under contract for many years.
[3][1] He did publish some novels in book format using the name Fred Smith with other publishing companies, including The Hidden Princess: a modern romance (1910, George W. Jacobs & Co., Philadelphia) and The Third Act (1914, Desmond Fitzgererald Inc., New York).
Among these films are Annie-for-Spite (1917), Tinsel (1918), High Speed (1924), The Lone Chance (1924), Love Letters (1924), Her Man o' War (1926), and Ladies Beware (1927).
[6] Much of his early work as a screenwriter was devoted to writing for the Pearl White serials,[3] such as The Fatal Ring (1917).
[3] Jackson was also a prolific writer for the theatre, producing more than sixty plays during his lifetime.