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September 4 – September 11, 2008 Edition

Stephenie Meyer

Puts New Book

On Hold After Leak

9/4/08–New York Times Bestselling author Stephenie Meyer has decided not to finish and publish this year’s biggest release, Midnight Sun, after a draft of the manuscript was illegally posted on the Internet and virally distributed without her permission or knowledge or that of her publisher. She told fans on her official website August 28 that the book will be "on hold indefinitely."

"I did not want my readers to experience Midnight Sun before it was completed, edited and published. 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.

"So where does this leave Midnight Sun? 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."

She said she would rather her fans not read this version of Midnight Sun. "It was only an incomplete draft; the writing is messy and flawed and full of mistakes. But how do I comment on this violation without driving more people to look for the illegal posting? It has taken me a while to decide how and if I could respond. But to end the confusion, I’ve decided to make the draft available here (at the end of this message on the Midnight Sun page). 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."

She said she had a good idea how the leak happened, did not think the leak was initially malicious, but had no further comment. She said she is focusing on spending more time with her family and working on some other writing projects. Read her full statement at http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/