Two decades after becoming the megaselling author’s publisher, Simon & Schuster imprint Scribner has acquired North American and Open Market print, e-book, and audio rights to 27 titles including IT, Misery, Dolores Claiborne, Christine, Cujo, The Dead Zone and Firestarter; the novella collections Different Seasons and Four Past Midnight; and the first four volumes of the Dark Tower series.
The CBS-owned publishing house last week announced plans to publish End Of Watch, the final volume in King’s Bill Hodges trilogy, on June 7, 2016. The story follows Mr. Mercedes (2014) and Finders Keepers (2015). David E. Kelley is developing a TV limited series for Sonar Entertainment based on Mr. Mercedes. King’s short story collection The Bazaar Of Bad Dreams will be published by Scribner on November 3.
King’s first novel, Carrie, was published in 1973 by Doubleday, where he remained while delivering such early bestsellers (and future films) as Salem’s Lot, The Shining and Pet Sematary, which are not included in the Scribner acquisition. In 1978 he left Doubleday in a dispute over paperback royalties. In the two decades since Scribner became King’s publisher, he has written books ranging from Lisey’s Story to On Writing, from the culmination of the Dark Tower series to Under The Dome and 11/22/63. Honors include the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and the National Medal of Arts, recently presented by President Obama.
The new agreement was announced Monday by King’s editor Nan Graham, SVP and Publisher of Scribner. E-book and e-audio editions of the acquired titles will be available from Scribner and Simon & Schuster Audio beginning on January 1, 2016. Print editions in trade and mass market paperback from the Scribner, Pocket Books, and Gallery imprints will follow.
“It’s a no-brainer, really,” the prolific author said in a statement from the publisher. “Good publishing and good relationships equals happy writers and long shelf life. I know from experience that this group of people — at Scribner, at Pocket, at Simon & Schuster Audio, and throughout the company — values the work I do, and wants to find as many readers as possible for the books I write, both now and in the future. Trusting them with this large body of work is my pleasure. We are excellent allies and good friends.”
Graham negotiated the agreement on behalf of Scribner, Gallery/Pocket Books, and Simon & Schuster Audio with King’s agent Chuck Verrill of Darhansoff & Verrill.
Here’s the full list of acquired titles:
Christine
Cujo
Cycle of the Werewolf
The Dark Half
The Dead Zone
Desperation
Different Seasons
Dolores Claiborne
The Eyes of the Dragon
Firestarter
Four Past Midnight
Gerald’s Game
IT
Misery
Needful Things
Rose Madder
Skeleton Crew
The Tommyknockers
The Long Walk (writing as Richard Bachman)
Roadwork (writing as Richard Bachman)
The Running Man (writing as Richard Bachman)
Thinner (writing as Richard Bachman)
The Regulators (writing as Richard Bachman)
The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower series)
The Drawing Of The Three (The Dark Tower series)
The Wastelands (The Dark Tower series)
Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower series)
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