I'm Emily Schultz. My first novel came out eight years ago. It was called Joyland. Last year Stephen King released a print-only novel with the same title. That was cool, until a few King readers bought the e-book version of my novel by mistake and started leaving negative and confused Amazon reviews. I asked Amazon to change their search results to keep people from buying the wrong book but never heard back. Apparently there were a lot of confused readers as this week I got a—for me—big royalty check for those mistaken books. I'm not so upset anymore. Sure, it's more a pleasant surprise than a fortune, and I'm stuck with those reviews, but I thought a blog detailing how we're spending the Stephen King money would be a nice way to end this funny and strange story.
Order my new novel, The Blondes
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The news is making the publishing rounds so I can now announce that my novel The Blondes has been optioned by Branded Pictures Entertainment and producers J Todd Harris (The Kids Are All Right, American Psycho: The Musical) and Marc Marcum (I, Robot). I'm also happy to say that I'm writing the script with Brian Joseph Davis. We're pictured here lost in index cards at Cafe Grumpy. There'll be more news this fall, but for now I feel so lucky to be with producers who have a vision that's true to the novel, as well as being completely surprising.
The Stephen King Money is gone and I am $9.97 over budget for this year.
The royalty check was for $1656.53. I'm told next year's royalty payment has roughly $1500 in it so let's call the Stephen King Money amount as $3200. That's less than the prize money on Chopped, but as a freelance writer and editor, still a nice surprise from an eight-year-old book.
Save for a handful of hardcover and paperback sales, these were all ebook sales. With King's Joyland now available as an ebook people will buy the novel they are looking for, so I'm going to be sensible and stop spending money for the time being.
For a Tumblr I made to entertain friends, I am amazed and honored that this entertained so many others. Thanks to everyone who wrote about the site or shared its links. Thanks to Rachel Ferschleiser at Tumblr for her support. Thanks to Nate Powell, who provided beautiful and haunting illustrations for my Joyland. Thanks to ECW Press for taking a chance on my first novel. Thanks to my editors at St. Martin's Press and Doubleday for their enthusiasm. Thanks to BookCourt, Apple Store, Girls Write Now, The Strand, Foxy Salon, and others for helping me spend the money.
Thanks most of all to my accidental co-author, Stephen King, for being so wonderfully supportive and understanding.
NOTE: One for me. One for my son. And that's it for the Stephen King money this year! Later today I'll be posting the tally and what's in store next year.
WOULD STEPHEN KING LIKE IT: True, there is always something a little disturbing in a Margaret Wise Brown book, but The Fever by Megan Abbott is probably the winner here. Given what The Blondes is about I've been excited to read Abbott's novel. Also, the definitive article is very important in today's book titling climate.
NOTE: The top picture is the old laptop that I wrote The Blondes on. I took the picture the day I handed in the manuscript. Writers worry constantly about that one corrupted file or sudden computer death that will take an unpublished work with it. We tend to back up files a lot.
WOULD STEPHEN KING ENJOY IT: According to his book On Writing, King writes 10 pages a day. I think he knows the importance of a good machine.
Thanks to Michael at the Grand Central Apple Store for the photo.
NOTE: Girls Write Now is the first organization in the country with a writing and mentoring model exclusively for girls. Girls Write Now provides guidance, support, and opportunities for at-risk and underserved girls from New York City’s public high schools.
WOULD STEPHEN KING LIKE IT: Early in his career a woman challenged King to write better female characters. The result was Carrie and King continues to have great female characters in his books.
COST: $12.95
Last night Stephen King responded to Entertainment Weekly about this project of mine. He graciously said, “I’m delighted for her, and I’m going to order her book.” So I bought his book too. He also has a new novel out, Mr. Mercedes, which you can buy here.
I'm glad he saw the humor of the project and the situation that put our two books together through a twist of fate and Amazon algorithms.
Thanks to everyone who shared and wrote about this blog. I've got a little more money to spend, which I'll continue to document here next week.
WOULD STEPHEN KING LIKE IT: Tough to say. He has an avowed love for rock so surreal cyber funk might be outside of his taste. Then again, there's a darkness to St. Vincent he might like, as well as her cover set of Big Black.
PURCHASE: Motherland, Fatherland, Homelandsexuals by Patricia Lockwood and The Friedkin Connection by William Friedkin
COST: $32.95
NOTE: Brian bought the Friedkin, I bought the Lockwood.
WOULD STEPHEN KING LIKE IT: The Friedkin Connection is probably a slam dunk. Lockwood's poetry he should read—both King and Lockwood are funny observers of American nightmares.
NOTE: This was the day we got the royalty check and was our first "fancy dinner" out in two years. To quote Brian: "Happy anniversary, birthday, and book contract day."
WOULD STEPHEN KING LIKE IT: Junoon is in a publishing neighborhood so it's quite possible he's been there. Also, what sane person wouldn't like deep fried paneer?
