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Rrty

Well-Known Member
Jun 4, 2007
1,394
4,588
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams debuted in second place on Publishers Weekly's bestseller list (on an overall basis). You can go over to the magazine's site now to check out the list, but I won't link it since I believe the link will eventually go out of date (the archive of sales data is not public).

The book sold a little under 60,000 copies. The data is through November 8, so I suspect the number would have been higher had the release date been November 1 instead of November 3. Maybe next week's results will show a higher number since it will be a full week and perhaps word of mouth on the title will be positive (I myself am enjoying the stories), and holiday gift-buying starts to increase? I don't know.

However, the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid tome debuted in first place with over 300,000 copies to its credit.

If you go from the overall list to the hardcover fiction list, you will note that King is in first place there.

I notice that some adult authors have tried their hand at writing children's books. Given Wimpy Kid's success in the marketplace, should King attempt to enter this market? Maybe try to compose some R.L Stine-type fare, but with his unique sensibilities?
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
He's been asked about writing for a younger age group on a number of occasions and his answer always is that he doesn't do that. He writes whatever the story is that's in his head. More (most?) often than not, it's not going to fall into the children's market.
 

FlakeNoir

Original Kiwi© SKMB®
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
44,082
175,641
New Zealand
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams debuted in second place on Publishers Weekly's bestseller list (on an overall basis). You can go over to the magazine's site now to check out the list, but I won't link it since I believe the link will eventually go out of date (the archive of sales data is not public).

The book sold a little under 60,000 copies. The data is through November 8, so I suspect the number would have been higher had the release date been November 1 instead of November 3. Maybe next week's results will show a higher number since it will be a full week and perhaps word of mouth on the title will be positive (I myself am enjoying the stories), and holiday gift-buying starts to increase? I don't know.

However, the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid tome debuted in first place with over 300,000 copies to its credit.

If you go from the overall list to the hardcover fiction list, you will note that King is in first place there.

I notice that some adult authors have tried their hand at writing children's books. Given Wimpy Kid's success in the marketplace, should King attempt to enter this market? Maybe try to compose some R.L Stine-type fare, but with his unique sensibilities?
:rolleyes:

He. Is. Not. Writing. For. The. Money. :biggrin2:
 

Spideyman

Uber Member
Jul 10, 2006
46,336
195,472
79
Just north of Duma Key
He listens to his muse; he writes the stories as they are told to him; it is not about money -- it's the journey he takes his Constant Readers to travel within. Why change something that satisfies him?


The Bazaar of Bad Dreams debuted in second place on Publishers Weekly's bestseller list (on an overall basis). You can go over to the magazine's site now to check out the list, but I won't link it since I believe the link will eventually go out of date (the archive of sales data is not public).

The book sold a little under 60,000 copies. The data is through November 8, so I suspect the number would have been higher had the release date been November 1 instead of November 3. Maybe next week's results will show a higher number since it will be a full week and perhaps word of mouth on the title will be positive (I myself am enjoying the stories), and holiday gift-buying starts to increase? I don't know.

However, the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid tome debuted in first place with over 300,000 copies to its credit.

If you go from the overall list to the hardcover fiction list, you will note that King is in first place there.

I notice that some adult authors have tried their hand at writing children's books. Given Wimpy Kid's success in the marketplace, should King attempt to enter this market? Maybe try to compose some R.L Stine-type fare, but with his unique sensibilities?
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
He's been asked about writing for a younger age group on a number of occasions and his answer always is that he doesn't do that. He writes whatever the story is that's in his head. More (most?) often than not, it's not going to fall into the children's market.
...uh-huh!....
tumblr_mzi452G51e1qczxc6o5_400.jpg
 

summer_sky

Well-Known Member
Oct 15, 2015
414
2,003
He's been asked about writing for a younger age group on a number of occasions and his answer always is that he doesn't do that. He writes whatever the story is that's in his head. More (most?) often than not, it's not going to fall into the children's market.
Only out of curiosity, when you say he's been asked about this, do you mean from the public or from his publisher?
Good question, Rrty. I'd like to hear the answer to this one.
It is my hope that SK is true to himself, as a writer, and follows his muse (as Spideyman so aptly puts it) and not his publishers.
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
Only out of curiosity, when you say he's been asked about this, do you mean from the public or from his publisher?
Not by his publisher but by others asking if he would write for them and also suggestions from the public. I couldn't give you specific names of publishers as there have been quite a few over the years I've worked for him and don't retain that as it's not usually something I'm going to need to retrieve later on. The only possible exception I can think of that was done more for the children's market was the pop-up version of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon but that was just an abridged version of the original.
 

Ted Brautigan

Well-Known Member
Aug 5, 2009
79
230
Tampa
He's been asked about writing for a younger age group on a number of occasions and his answer always is that he doesn't do that. He writes whatever the story is that's in his head. More (most?) often than not, it's not going to fall into the children's market.

I think that's a good approach. Some YA books (A Fault in our Stars comes to mind) are written in such a juvenile way that I can not relate to the characters. I don't mean to bash other authors but my absolute favorite part about SK's books are the real to life characters. Most YA books that I've come across don't have authors with that kind of ability.
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
30,011
127,446
Spokane, WA
I would say The Eyes of the Dragon is the closest he's ever come to the YA genre.
Perhaps The Talisman should be considered as a YA novel also even tho it contains some rather adult themes? It has many nods to Tom Sawyer and The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn which I've always though of as YA books.
 

carrie's younger brother

Well-Known Member
Mar 8, 2012
5,428
25,651
NJ
:rolleyes:

He. Is. Not. Writing. For. The. Money. :biggrin2:
Although he may not be writing for the money for himself personally, as a major author associated with a huge publisher (and many other international publishers, among other companies), he (along with many other authors) is contractually and we hope morally obligated to produce a product that will generate enough income to keep the employees of these companies employed. I honestly think his Mr. Mercedes trilogy was an effort by both SK and his publisher to produce something commercial enough to bring in the big bucks and new readers but of a quality his Constant Readers would appreciate. I think they succeeded.
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
Although he may not be writing for the money for himself personally, as a major author associated with a huge publisher (and many other international publishers, among other companies), he (along with many other authors) is contractually and we hope morally obligated to produce a product that will generate enough income to keep the employees of these companies employed. I honestly think his Mr. Mercedes trilogy was an effort by both SK and his publisher to produce something commercial enough to bring in the big bucks and new readers but of a quality his Constant Readers would appreciate. I think they succeeded.
Actually, he had to do some convincing at Scribner that Mr. Mercedes would do well and the same for 11/22/63. I think he knew his fans a little better than they did. ;) If I remember correctly, Mr. Mercedes wasn't sold as a trilogy going in.
 

DiO'Bolic

Not completely obtuse
Nov 14, 2013
22,864
129,998
Poconos, PA
Actually, he had to do some convincing at Scribner that Mr. Mercedes would do well and the same for 11/22/63. I think he knew his fans a little better than they did. ;) If I remember correctly, Mr. Mercedes wasn't sold as a trilogy going in.
Interesting. If King wrote a novel and Scribner wouldn’t commit the necessary resources to reach a wide market, provide extensive marketing, the editorial support, and safeguards of the author’s intellectual property... in order to derive the maximum amount of revenues, could he shop the work to other publishers?
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
Interesting. If King wrote a novel and Scribner wouldn’t commit the necessary resources to reach a wide market, provide extensive marketing, the editorial support, and safeguards of the author’s intellectual property... in order to derive the maximum amount of revenues, could he shop the work to other publishers?
Absolutely. He already does books with other publishers--Joyland and The Colorado Kid were both with Hard Case Crime.