Newsgroup: it.fan.stephen-king
Titolo: KING's NEWS

Check it out today!
_______________________________________________________
CONTENTS:
Welcome
King News
TV Listings
Bestseller Lists
King Quotes
King's Greatest Hits
Have You Read?
Closing Notes
______________________________________________________
WELCOME
Hi again,
I just wanted to remind everyone to take a moment to check out this week's
sponsor -- Twilight Showcase <a href=" 
http://home.rica.net/gconn
">
http://home.rica.net/gconn
</a>  This is a GREAT website and I visit it
monthly to see what's new.  Now, onto the news and information for the week!
Best wishes,
Brian
One of your SK News Hounds
______________________________________________________
KING NEWS
According to Amazon.com, they'll be giving away RIDING THE BULLET for FREE
starting Tuesday night.  We'll let everyone know where to go for this free
download as soon as the URL is announced!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/home/books.html/
If they're really going to do this, it's probably just good marketing on
their part.  Say 100,000 people download it from Amazon and Amazon has to
pay S&S $1.25 per copy (because the buy at a wholesale price, of course).
That's only $125,000 loss.  But if 25,000 of those 100,000 people are new to
Amazon and have to open an account to download the file, that's 25,000 more
people who might buy something from Amazon.  All they need is 1,000 of those
25,000 people to spend $125 in the next year to make up for the original
$125,000 "loss."  Or, if 1 in 50 people who download the file also make a
purchase of any kind, the profit on said purchase covers Amazon's "loss"
again.  So it's a great idea, if they're thinking the way I suspect they
are.
---------
Here is the official press release about King's new e-book, RIDING THE
BULLET:
New Stephen King eBook Exclusive to be Available Through netLibrary and
peanutpress.com
; netLibrary and 
peanutpress.com
 Offer Downloads to Multiple
Platforms
     BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- March 8, 2000--netLibrary, the
world's premier provider of eBooks over the Internet, today announced that
it is one of the companies selected to distribute Riding the Bullet, the new
eBook-only story by best-selling author Stephen King.
     The eBook will be released on Tuesday, March 14 (12:01 a.m. EST).
     netLibrary (
www.netLibrary.com
) is the only eBook distributor allowing
consumers to download Riding the Bullet in multiple formats. At netLibrary,
readers have the option of downloading eBooks to their personal computers or
to a variety of popular handheld computing devices through 
peanutpress.com
,
a division of netLibrary.
     Riding the Bullet, described by King as "a ghost story in the grand
manner," will be sold exclusively as an eBook -- no print versions will be
sold. The 16,000-word story, priced at $2.50, is a co-publication between
Scribner and Philtrum Press, King's own press, and electronically published
through Simon & Schuster Online.
     "We are thrilled that major best-selling authors such as Stephen King
are leading the way by releasing their work in eBook form," said netLibrary
President and CEO Timothy R. Schiewe.
     "We are confident that once consumers begin downloading and reading
their favorite authors' works in electronic format, they will find eBooks to
be a flexible, portable addition to the hardbound and paperback books they
normally buy."
     The distribution of Riding the Bullet as an eBook bypasses the
traditional year long publishing cycle. "What's exciting is that we are able
to go from Stephen King's computer to the reader in a fraction of the
print-book publishing arc," said Kate Tentler, vice president and publisher
of Simon & Schuster Online.
     "And, we can offer this wonderful story to readers in whichever
electronic format they are comfortable with: on an eBook device, a handheld
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), or on a computer."
     "I'm curious to see what sort of response there is and whether or not
this is the future," said King, who wrote Riding the Bullet shortly after
his
near-fatal accident when he was hit by a car in June 1999. King has since
written several works. Riding the Bullet is his first work to go directly to
readers via eBook.
     netLibrary's acquisition of 
peanutpress.com
, announced last month,
enables the eBook provider to offer Stephen King's new work for download to
multiple platforms. Through netLibrary, readers can download Riding the
Bullet to their personal computers or to handheld computing devices such as
those running the Palm OS (Palm and Handspring Visor) and the Windows CE
operating system.
     Additionally, 
peanutpress.com
 now offers Peanut Reader 3.0, eBook
reader
software that enables users to enjoy rich graphics, hyperlinks, and enhanced
HTML utilities.
     About netLibrary
     Founded in August 1998, Boulder, Colo.-based netLibrary
(
www.netLibrary.com
) has forged relationships with more than 160 publishers
of trade, reference, academic, and scholarly books, resulting in a digital
library of more than 15,000 titles and counting.
     Publishers with eBooks in the netLibrary collection include AMACOM
Books, Harvard Business School Press, Houghton Mifflin Company, McGraw-Hill,
and O'Reilly & Associates. 
peanutpress.com
, a division of netLibrary, offers
eBooks for download to popular handheld computing devices through its
website, 
www.peanutpress.com
.
     About Simon & Schuster
     Simon & Schuster, the publishing operation of Viacom Inc., is a global
leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing
the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all
printed and multi-media formats.
     Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Trade Publishing, Pocket Books,
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster New Media, Simon &
Schuster Online, Simon & Schuster U.K., and Simon & Schuster Australia. For
more information about Simon & Schuster visit: 
http://www.SimonSays.com
_______________________________________________________
BESTSELLER LISTS
Publisher's Weekly
Mass Market Paperback
1. The Testament by John Grisham
2. Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution by Robert C. Atkins, MD
3. SSN by Tom Clancy and Martin Greenberg
4. Bittersweet by Danielle Steele
5. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
6. The Cider House Rules by John Irving
7. Certain Prey by John Sandford
*8. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
9. Rain by VC Andrews
10. Mistaken Identity by Lisa Scottoline
11. First Lady by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
*12. The Green Mile by Stephen King
13. The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet by Dr. Richard Heller and Dr.
Rachael Heller
14. Prime Cut by Diane Mott Davidson
15. Send No Flowers by Sandra Brown
Barnes & Noble Horror and Suspense
*1. The Green Mile by Stephen King
2. False Memory by Dean Koontz
*3. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
4. Seize The Night by Dean Koontz
5. Hannibal by Thomas Harris
6. Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton
*7 Bag of Bones by Stephen King
8. Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz
9. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
10. Black Evening: Tales of Dark Suspense by David Morrell
________________________________________________________
KING'S GREATEST HITS
Not really a greatest hit... but here is the URL for a story the Washington
Post ran today about King & e-books:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61985-2000Mar12.html
Please note that although the story says RIDING THE BULLET is 200+ pages on
a Palm Pilot, RIDING THE BULLET is 16,000 words long, or around 60 pages in
printed form.
Feel free to dig around the web and send us any other King "Greatest Hits"
articles or interviews or book reviews!
________________________________________________________
KING QUOTES
"Maybe that's why God made us kids first and built us so close to
the ground, because He knows you got to fall down a lot and bleed
a lot to learn that one simple lesson. You pay for what you get, you
own what you pay for... and sooner or later whatever you own
comes back home to you."
-- Ben Hanscom, IT.
Keep in mind that anyone can send us a King Quote if they like.  Just be
sure to mention where it's from, and if we can use your name. <g>
________________________________________________________
HAVE YOU READ...?
This week's pick: WATCHERS by Dean Koontz
A book that incorporates elements of both the horror tale and the action
thriller, and the result is an intriguing and enjoyable novel. Watchers is a
retelling of the Frankenstein theme with a twist: two creatures, quite
different from each other, roam the land. Two animals who are unlike any
other animals as a result of DNA research escape from a top-secret
laboratory. One is divinely inspiring, engendering love and caring. The
other is a hellish nightmare that leaves unspeakable slaughter in its wake.
The two creatures and a supporting cast of characters a government agent, a
hired killer, a decent recluse, and a lonely woman are inevitably brought
together in a climactic and satisfying showdown. While the plot developments
occasionally seem a bit forced  -- this is one book that could actually have
profited by some extra length -- the shortcomings are minor. Watchers is a
satisfying example of good storytelling.
Out of nearly 200 reviews, this book averages 5 stars!  Can you do better
than that?  I think not.
Brian's Note:
I haven't had a chance to read this one even though it's been out for YEARS,
but a lot of people have told me good things!  Feel free to send YOUR
suggestions for books to feature in the Have Your Read? section of the
newsletter to me.  If it's something I've missed, I'll even include why you
think it's such a good book!
Here is a link to read more about :
<a href=" 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0425107469/052379122979/
">
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0425107469/052379122979/
</a>
Order it online or check out your local bookstore!
________________________________________________________
CLOSING NOTES
Like we may have mentioned before, PLEASE pass this along to your friends
and if you find any King news, send it our way!!  We'll keep you updated
about RIDING THE BULLET, and if Amazon does decide to give it away for free,
you'll be the first to know.  :)
Have a wonderful week!
Best,
Brian & Jill
extras
-------------
"I just e-mailed Mr. King's assistant and was told that Riding the Bullet
and Blood & Smoke will be a collection of short stories that will appear in
the 3rd book under the new contract for Simon & Schuster."
The contract, which King signed earlier this year, did indeed call for two
novels (FROM A BUICK 8 and CANCER) and a short story collection.  It's good
to know that these four stories will be available in a print format for
people who don't like e-books or audio books!
--------------

 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61985-2000Mar12.html
"an 800-pound gorilla like King" ... 8hundred_pound_gorilla lo chiamano
nell'articolo... ;)ehehehe!
--
Ciauz
Lars®
                 Lars® Ulrich
Uin :33036222


Questo e' l'indirizzo completo.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/promotions/stephen-king/stephen-king
.html/002-7938876-9208255#download
Poi ci vorrebbe qualche volonteroso volontario per tradurlo a tutto il
gruppo (a quei 4 poveracci come me che non sanno l'inglese, sigh!)
MANUU:
Se ti invio la copia del racconto direttamente in email avresti il tempo
entro il 2001?  ^_____^
ciao:
Gordie

 Questo e' l'indirizzo completo.
Io l'ho gia' tirato giu' tutto...


-----------------------------------------------------------
Special issue for Tuesday, March 14, 2000
-----------------------------------------------------------
Riding the Bullet
Stephen King. Scribner and Philtrum Press, $2.50 (66p) ISBN 0-7432-0467-0
E-publishing takes a giant step with the release of this grandly
entertaining ghost story. Not only is it the first original e-publication
by a megaselling author, but it may be the most accomplished work ever to
appear only in cyberspace--and it's available through an unprecedented
number of vendors and platforms. The story is vintage King. Narrator Alan
Parker, 21, learns that his beloved mother has had a stroke and hitchhikes
through rural Maine to see her. On the way he's picked up first by a horrid
old man, then by someone far more awful: a dead young man who offers him a
terrible choice. The simple, potent prose skims along spurred by high
suspense. The atmospherics roil like a classic nightmare: a moonlit
graveyard, howling wind, rising mist; but King spins them with a wicked
modern touch--the dead man drives a Mustang, and as the corpse pulls on a
cigarette, Alan sees "little trickles of smoke escape from the stitched
incision on his neck." When Alan makes his choice, the story deepens as
King taps horror fiction's particular ability to illuminate the terror of
the human condition. Anyone concerned about King's writing abilities after
his near-fatal accident can relax. This genuinely chilling, haunting tale
finds his talent--and the state of e-publishing--in the pink.
-----------------------------------------------------------
PW Talks with Ralph Vincinanza
Ralph Vicinanza is the literary agent who arranged for the e-publication of
Stephen King's Riding the Bullet.
PW: Why is Stephen King publishing an e-book?
RV: We had planned, in 1999, on my doing a deal for the electronic
publication of a bridge story between The Talisman and that novel's sequel,
which Peter Straub and Stephen King are writing now. I think we'll still go
forward with that. But I would like to see that done closer to when the
book will be published, which probably won't happen until mid-2001. So I
said to Steve, "It would be nice to get an idea of what this market is like
now."
He said, "Let me think about it," and then he came back the next day and
said, "I think I have a story that's perfect for this." I thought it was a
really good story in terms of subject matter, but also in terms of length.
I didn't want something that would overwhelm the reader, and its length is
one reason why we were able to put such a nice price on it.  We don't want
the price to be any kind of a barrier--and there were no production costs.
PW: It's no surprise that it's Stephen King who's the first really
high-profile author to publish electronically. But it is a bit surprising
to see S&S involved. Why didn't he go to a bona fide e-publisher, or
publish the story on his own?
RV: That was my call. I have been taking meetings with a number of e-book
publishers and people who have Web sites. Stephen King has credibility.
Stephen King has a huge readership and a cachet all his own. He's a brand
name. Many of these companies are new companies--even the ones that have
considerable financing are new companies. If Stephen King chose one over
the other, that would give that one an imprimatur that may not be deserved.
We don't know how this technology is going to pan out.
There are lots of people who would pay enormous amounts of money to attract
King to do business with them. I have been in meetings where CEOs have said
to me, "We will give him 40% or 50% of our stock just to have a regular
business with him." But that's not what we were interested in. We were
interested in being published electronically in all of the various formats
available on all of the various platforms. And S&S has been very aggressive
in pursuing relationships with these people.
It's important that people don't allow their paranoia to get the best of
them. Electronic books and downloading from the Internet is a new and
exciting way to present writers. I don't think it's going to destroy the
publishing industry. It's very much like the development of the mass-market
paperback. Hardcover publishers went crazy back then, thinking, "Oh my God,
we're going to be run out of business." You were going to have the same
books out there for very cheap prices. But that's not what happened.
PW: But there is a major difference. Now any author can go and post
material online, for almost cost.
RV: The problem with any author publishing on the Web is, how do you get
readers to go to that Web site? I think that publishers will remain very
important as portals, saying, "We offer books by...."
Authors like Stephen King and John Grisham and Tom Clancy are in a unique
position in the sense that they are portals themselves. It won't surprise
anyone to hear that these men, through their writing, have earned enough
money to buy publishers if they really wanted to do it themselves. I don't
think Stephen King wants to be a publisher. I think that, if he'd wanted
to, he would have been able to buy Putnam several years ago, and not have
Pearson buy Putnam.
PW: Riding the Bullet is encrypted so that it not only can't be copied, it
can't be printed out. Why?
RV: On the Web, you can download material, copy it and send it to hundreds
of people. The purpose of the encryption is that, when the material is
downloaded, if I try to send it on to someone else, or have somebody
download it into their own e-reader or Palm, or to print it out, the file
will know that it's been downloaded already, and will corrupt.
PW: I wonder how long it will take before the story appears illicitly on
the Web. Because you know someone can have it on their Rocket and type it
from there on to their laptop.
RV: You can do that with a short story now. And people have. The law
eventually will have to monitor activity like that. But right now, for
somebody to sit down, and to spend an hour or two typing it, rather than
spending $2.50--I wouldn't get that.
We want everybody involved with electronic books to enjoy this. I think
it's going to be a tremendous boost in the arm for this industry. --Jeff
Zaleski
Source: PW Daily for Booksellers
Best wishes,
Brian Freeman
-----------------------------------


Io invece sto tirando giů tutti i santi del paradiso perché non ci
riesco....
--
Will Dearborn
tom....@flashnet.it
guns....@flashnet.it
ICQ #44199980

 riesco....
Ci sei riuscito Will ?


 entro il 2001?  ^_____^
Mi do ammalata a lavoro per un paio di giorni e dovrei farcela ^___^
Ciao,
Manu.


Ah, lo fai tu... bene...stavo pensando di farlo io...
ne parliamo in mail...
Antonio

Antonio
Grazie Manu e grazie Antonio!!!!  Magari sarebbe bello che una copia
circolasse durante il raduno di Bologna, ma forse non c'e' il tempo. Io
penso di fare una trentina di copie della traduzione di Manu del racconto
giovanile "Killer" di King da distribuire a Bologna assieme alle magliette,
che dite? (si tratta di un foglio). Peccato che le traduzioni non si possano
mettere sul sito per chiari problemi di Copyright.
Cmq gli " italianacci " per scelta o per necessita' (nel senso che l'inglese
lo masticano poco e male) ringraziano per ogni nuova iniziativa di questo
genere ^__^
ciao:
Gordie


Non ancora, purtroppo....
Riproverò stasera, cmq.


 che dite? (si tratta di un foglio).
Certo! E' un'ottima idea, perché no? Grazie Gordie, e grazie soprattutto a
Manu.


 Riproverò stasera, cmq.
Insisti che ne vale proprio la pena ! Che mito che e' Stevie...Dio , e' un
grande! ;)


giovanile "Killer" di King da distribuire a Bologna assieme alle
magliette,
[CUT]
Me lo mandi in mail? (In Inglese, course).
Suomi :*-(

Interessante. Eventualmente si potrebbe allegare anche la versione
Si', interessante... ma chi non viene a Bologna (come me, non ho ne'
il tempo, ne' i soldi -povero me-)?
==========================
pa...@linuxfan.com
pao...@videobank.it
Linux Reg. User # 155574
===wine+freeagent===========

 il tempo, ne' i soldi -povero me-)?
Giá :-(
Marco
--
mc-...@gmx.net
ICQ: 11512349
"Let your heart rule your head"
(B. May)

 il tempo, ne' i soldi -povero me-)?
Dovresti sentire chi ce l'ha, io sono tra quelli che vanno a Bologna e
troveranno anche questa piacevole sorpresa.
Ciao
Matteo B.