Why Did Stephen King Choose Tiny Publisher Cemetery Dance To Publish 'Blockade Billy'?

The Baltimore Sun:

Stephen King is what got Richard Chizmar, owner of Cemetery Dance Publications, into the business of publishing horror and suspense books.

Now King is his business.

Read the whole story: The Baltimore Sun

Comments

[moonflowerjewelry]

09:45 AM on 04/19/2010

Now if he would invest some of his hard earned ducats in small publishing houses to help other writers get published, that would be news. But hurray for him for helping a small business person succeed in a cutthroat marketplace.

Granted, I haven't read too much of his written after the first decade because he is wordy - I used to joke that he, Anne Rice and Diana Gabaldon must get paid by the word because of their loooooooong atmospheric descriptions.

[moonflowerjewelry]

09:46 AM on 04/19/2010

i need an editor

[GoodandBadnews]

10:44 PM on 04/18/2010

Candle Man: Britain's First Super Hero
http://www.goodandbadnews.com/candle-man-britains-own-super-hero/

[JDM73]

07:21 PM on 04/17/2010

Good for Stephen King (he's still a fine storyteller and I enjoyed his most recent novel, "Under the Dome") and Cemetery Dance...but bad for new horror writers who are trying to break into the business. Small independent presses used to be a refuge for those of us who hadn't made a name for ourselves but had a story worth telling. Now, as more small publishers take on established authors like King (and Cemetery Dance isn't the first or the only independent press to publish the work of a major or once-major horror writer), new authors have no place to go.
Granted, someone like Joe Lansdale or Rick Hautala needs one of the independent presses to keep his work before the public now that the horror market has dwindled. But Stephen King? He could have his work published by absolutely anyone, anytime he wanted. Small presses are hardly a last resort for him.

[SoonerThought]

11:02 AM on 04/17/2010

I used to pile on and call King a hack; then I wrote my own books and realized the work and imagination he puts into his stuff. Like him or not, the guy is a master, and his book "On Writing" is absolutely indispensable for writers. My book: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/6806

[SAJP]

01:21 AM on 04/18/2010

Same here -- I used to wince at some of his rather pedestrian, predictable dialog and his 'situation dynamics' (always about some people in a room or other trapped environment), but King is a solid craftsman -- and his "On Writing" book is beautiful, human, and inspiring -- and I think a Must Read for any aspiring writer of whatever genre..

Fanned & grabbing your book in Kindle (sounds like a great read!).

[diocassius]

11:05 AM on 04/18/2010

I totally agree about On Writing. A friend of mine gave it to me when I was writing the first draft of my novel, Dead Angels Bleed. It helped me immensely. Even now, as I'm working on other novels and writing projects, I'll still turn back to that copy of On Writing. Every writer should read it.

I collect Stephen King's first prints/first editions, I guess this one will be really tough to find...

If anyone's interested, my novel can be found at http://www.damnage.com/

[lastwords]

11:36 AM on 04/18/2010

techniques will never make up for substance.

[Nolana]

08:05 AM on 04/19/2010

I agree about On Writing. Since I splurged and paid $25 for the hardcover edition (and that was a huge splurge for me, then), I have found no other writing book to supersede it. The advice is common sense, and I actually slapped the table and shouted "Yes! You are SO right!" when he advocated against the use of adverbs except in emergencies.

King's style and genre are not for all, but his knowledge and understanding of the process is spot on, and aspiring writers could do worse than to take his advice.

[SF TKF]

05:42 PM on 04/16/2010

Stephen King, because of his success, has the power to dabble in alternative publishing options such as this one. He's done other experiments too, including releasing a novellas as in serialized chapters and as eBooks.

[huffponewbie]

05:02 PM on 04/16/2010

The bigger question is why anyone chose to publish Steven King.

[LeftLeanWing]

08:52 PM on 04/16/2010

Because HE SELLS WELL.... Period...

People like his Books.

As simple as that.

[skybar]

09:19 PM on 04/16/2010

No doubt, he has his flaws as a writer.
He can't write dialogue.
His characters are interchangeable.
But he's a masterful storyteller. He's that kid around the campfire who always told the scariest stories.
Plus, he understands the fun of reading.
Couple that with a wild imagination, and you have the most successful author of all time.