Stephen King Partners With Simon & Schuster

Posted on November 7, 1997

Jack Romanos, president of the Simon & Schuster Consumer Group, announced today that Scribner, Pocket Books and Simon & Schuster Audio will enter into a publishing venture with Stephen King to publish three books: Bag of Bones, a novel; an untitled collection of short stories; and an untitled non-fiction work on the craft of writing.

Contrary to press reports, Mr. King's primary interest was in finding a publisher with a fresh and imaginative publishing plan, not simply taking the richest deal offered. Many companies were invited to present publishing plans for Bag of Bones. Following the review of many offers, Stephen King's representatives called Susan Moldow, publisher of Scribner, and made a proposal for a publishing arrangement. Mr. King chose Simon & Schuster's Scribner and Pocket Books imprints for their vision of how to expand his market.

Stephen King commented, "I'm happy that the public search for a new publisher has ended so successfully. Bag of Bones contains everything I now know about marriage, lust and ghosts, and it was essential to me that I find the right partner to publish it."

"Bag of Bones is the work of a writer at the peak of his powers," said Susan Moldow, publisher of Scribner. "It combines a story of a child in jeopardy with familiar elements from King's other works such as a haunted house, an insular and isolated community, and forces no one can control. Its story of the numbing effect of grief, the endless manifestations of the creative process and the emotional richness of a April-October romance, introduce a host of issues and themes of interest to a very broad readership. The book offers an emotional resonance that does not take a back seat to special effects. Bag of Bones is a bag of treasures for a publisher's promotional effort."