[1] From 1891 to 1900, he was a reporter for the New York Sun where his career began, and then joined McClure's Magazine, where he gained a reputation as a muckraker for his articles on the conditions of public health in the United States.

In 1904, Adams became an editorial staffer with McClure's Magazine working with Lincoln Steffens, Ida Tarbell, and Ray Stannard Baker.

His service during World War I for the Committee on Public Information led to Common Cause (1919), a novel on a newspaper's battle against pro-Germans in Wisconsin.

Among his other works are ‘’The Great American Fraud’’ in ‘’Collier's‘’ (1905–06), ‘’The Mystery’’ (1907), with S. E. White, ‘’Average Jones’’ (1911), ‘’The Secret of Lonesome Cove’’ (1912), ‘’The Health Master’’ (1913), ‘’The Clarion’’ (1914), ‘’The Unspeakable Perk’’ (1916), ‘’Our Square and the People in It’’ (1917), ‘’Success’’ (1921), ‘’Siege’’ (1924), ‘’The Gorgeous Hussy’’ (1934), ‘’Maiden Effort’’ (1937), ‘’The Harvey Girls‘’ (1942; adapted into the 1946 movie musical starring Judy Garland), ‘’Canal Town’’ (1944), ‘’Plunder’’ (1948), ‘’Grandfather Stories‘’ (1955), “Chingo Smith of the Erie Canal” (1958) and m. ‘’Average Jones’’ is a series of stories about a detective investigating fraudulent or unusual advertisements.

‘’The New York Times‘’ reviewer H. I. Brock called the book an “outstanding period piece” and “a finale to a long and varied writing career”.

The printing of his 1947 novel ‘’Banner by the Wayside’’ was the subject of an ‘’Encyclopædia Britannica’’ documentary on the manufacture of hardback books (see external links).

These titillating works, which mainly featured young women flappers and their trials and tribulations of early adulthood, often became best-sellers avidly read by Jazz Age youth.

Most of these novels were later brought to the screen, including Flaming Youth starring Colleen Moore; Sailors' Wives, with Mary Astor in the lead; and The Wild Party featuring Clara Bow.