Thriller writer Frederick Forsyth is set to follow Stephen King's example by publishing and selling his latest book exclusively on the internet.
The Day of the Jackal author announced yesterday that his next book, Quintet, will comprise of a series of five short stories, published separately on the net. Customers will have to pay around £2 for each story, which will be protected by special software to deter people from downloading the book for free.
Forsyth follows in the footsteps of US horror writer Stephen King, who published his new novel, Riding the Bullet, on the web earlier this year and is currently releasing his latest book, The Plant, chapter by chapter. However, he is believed to be having problems recovering payment (see our Book trade column), reporting a "widening disparity between downloads and payments."
Fay Weldon is releasing her new novel, Woodworm, exclusively on the political website yougov.com, but is not charging readers.
According to Forsyth, publishing on the internet is the future for writers: "Having been writing since 1970, I consider myself something of a veteran author," he said. "I believe the advent of e-books is one of the most exciting developments in my experience as a professional writer. It offers the authors a whole range of new opportunities and freedom."
The first two stories, The Veteran and The Miracle, will be published by online originals later this month.
Managing director, Phil Rance, whose company up until now has only dealt with first-time authors, said that online publishing looks set to expand: "With rapid developments in handheld technology, and authors of Frederick's calibre being lured online, we predict a growth in appetite for e-books and a shift in power away from traditional publishing."
