Internet Leak Kills Book -- Author Upset

Stephenie Meyer Abandons Final Twilight Book after Internet Leak
(from Publisher's Lunch)

Author of this year's biggest release Stephenie Meyer surprised her fans by posting on her web site that her "partial draft of Midnight Sun was illegally posted on the Internet and has since been virally distributed without my knowledge or permission or the knowledge or permission of my publisher"--and as a result, she has put the new manuscript "on hold indefinitely."

Meyer writes: "My first feeling was that there was no way to continue. Writing isn't like math; in math, two plus two always equals four no matter what your mood is like. With writing, the way you feel changes everything. If I tried to write Midnight Sun now, in my current frame of mind, James would probably win and all the Cullens would die, which wouldn't dovetail too well with the original story. In any case, I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on Midnight Sun, and so it is on hold indefinitely."

Saying "I'd rather my fans not read this version of Midnight Sun" and noting that it was "only an incomplete draft; the writing is messy and flawed and full of mistakes," Meyer decided to post what she has written on her site. "This way, my readers don't have to feel they have to make a sacrifice to stay honest. I hope this fragment gives you further insight into Edward's head and adds a new dimension to the Twilight story. That's what inspired me to write it in the first place." Meyer tells fans "I have a good idea of how the leak happened as there were very few copies of Midnight Sun that left my possession and each was unique." While underscoring that it "the manuscript that was illegally distributed on the Internet was given to trusted individuals for a good purpose" she still "believe[s] that there was no malicious intent with the initial distribution."

But she emphasizes: "I think it is important for everybody to understand that what happened was a huge violation of my rights as an author, not to mention me as a human being. As the author of the Twilight Saga, I control the copyright and it is up to the owner of the copyright to decide when the books should be made public; this is the same for musicians and filmmakers. Just because someone buys a book or movie or song, or gets a download off the Internet, doesn't mean that they own the right to reproduce and distribute it. Unfortunately, with the Internet, it is easy for people to obtain and share items that do not legally belong to them. No matter how this is done, it is still dishonest. This has been a very upsetting experience for me, but I hope it will at least leave my fans with a better understanding of copyright and the importance of artistic control."