question on king double day years

[chief4db]

new to king and I noticed he used to be with double day. does anyway know why he left them or why they left him etc. if they dumped him I would say that was a mistake. lol
thanks

chief4db

[ Moderator ]

 

[GNTLGNT]

...that would be one from Marsha's wheelhouse....

 

[BeverleyMarsh]

I don't remember exactly where I read it, it must have been "on writing" I think, but he felt he wasn't given the consideration he deserved when dealing with them. It stemmed from one meeting Stephen King had with them where he was made to feel that he was just another writer to them, or something along those lines. I think, don't quote me on it

 

[Neesy]

I don't remember exactly where I read it, it must have been "on writing" I think, but he felt he wasn't given the consideration he deserved when dealing with them. It stemmed from one meeting Stephen King had with them where he was made to feel that he was just another writer to them, or something along those lines. I think, don't quote me on it

Funny - I went looking for my copy of "On Writing" only to discover I cannot find it - so looks like that was one I got from the library then. Shoot!

 

[Neesy]

new to king and I noticed he used to be with double day. does anyway know why he left them or why they left him etc. if they dumped him I would say that was a mistake. lol
thanks

chief4db

I just found something on-line that may be relevant:

"The Stand was a landmark book for Stephen King, and not just because it’s the approximate size and weight of an actual landmark. It was the book that ended his contract with Doubleday and landed him his first agent, turning Stephen King from rich author into a very, very rich author."

You can read the rest at this link:

The Great Stephen King Reread: The Stand | Tor.com

Essentially it goes on to say that they wanted him to cut The Stand down to about 800 pages from 1200 pages. He did the editing himself rather than let them do it.

It was 'the straw that broke the camel's back'.

The Stand was the last book he owed Doubleday on his contract, and immediately after it came out he hired an agent, Kirby McCauley, and demanded a three-book $3.5 million deal.

Doubleday refused to go above $3 million, which may have been what King was hoping for. He had been complaining for a while that Doubleday disrespected him despite the vast sacks of cash he earned them and so, in a move orchestrated by McCauley, he walked to New American Library, his paperback publisher (who licensed his hardcover rights to Viking).

In seeming retaliation, Doubleday fired Bill Thompson, the editor who had discovered King and who had been his strongest advocate at the house.

 

[kingricefan]

Even after King had bestsellers with 'Salem's Lot and then followed by The Shining, there were a few times when he went to the Doubleday offices in NY to meet with his editor Bill Thompson. They would be walking in the halls and the 'mucky-mucks' would be walking towards them and they would not even recognize Steve. Bill would have to introduce/re-introduce King to them. How's that for making your highest selling in-house author feel welcome and needed? As stated above, the tipping point was when they made him cut sections of The Stand- telling him either you do it or we will. Lord knows what it would've been like had 'they' had their chance at editing it down a few hundred pages. The Stand wasn't the last Doubleday King book either- that honor goes to Pet Semetary. If I remember correctly Doubleday took King to court over his 5 book deal after he left them, saying that his Night Shift didn't truly count as a 'book' as it was a collection of short stories and he therefore owed them another book. I do not have tender feelings towards Doubleday Publishing, Inc......

 

[Neesy]

Even after King had bestsellers with 'Salem's Lot and then followed by The Shining, there were a few times when he went to the Doubleday offices in NY to meet with his editor Bill Thompson. They would be walking in the halls and the 'mucky-mucks' would be walking towards them and they would not even recognize Steve. Bill would have to introduce/re-introduce King to them. How's that for making your highest selling in-house author feel welcome and needed? As stated above, the tipping point was when they made him cut sections of The Stand- telling him either you do it or we will. Lord knows what it would've been like had 'they' had their chance at editing it down a few hundred pages. The Stand wasn't the last Doubleday King book either- that honor goes to Pet Semetary. If I remember correctly Doubleday took King to court over his 5 book deal after he left them, saying that his Night Shift didn't truly count as a 'book' as it was a collection of short stories and he therefore owed them another book. I do not have tender feelings towards Doubleday Publishing, Inc......

Way back when, I was a Doubleday book club member - I think that is how I ended up purchasing Dreamcatcher (???) - that one is by Doubleday isn't it?

Anyhoo - here is a pic from the back of The Stand - maybe he was not 'airbrushed' for that cover of the magazine I posted on here earlier after all (somewhere on here but not sure which thread).

Spoiler

 

[kingricefan]

Way back when, I was a Doubleday book club member - I think that is how I ended up purchasing Dreamcatcher (???) - that one is by Doubleday isn't it?

Anyhoo - here is a pic from the back of The Stand - maybe he was not 'airbrushed' for that cover of the magazine I posted on here earlier after all (somewhere on here but not sure which thread).

Spoiler

Nope, Dreamcatcher was published by Scribner. He wasn't airbrushed either. I don't think he would like it if they re-touched him- he ain't a supermodel, just a down-to-Earth writer from Maine.