After a partial rough draft of Stephenie Meyer’s forthcoming novel, Midnight Sun, was leaked and disseminated online last week, the author has put the project on hold "indefinitely." First reported by the Los Angeles Times, Meyer posted a message about the leak to fans on her Web site last Thursday. "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," wrote Meyer. "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."
Meyer also wrote that she had a “good idea” of how the leak might have happened. “There were very few copies of Midnight Sun that left my possession and each was unique,” she said. “Due to little changes I made to the manuscript at different times, I can tell when each left my possession and to whom it was given.” The author added that she did not believe there was “malicious intent” behind the initial distribution of the partial manuscript.
Midnight Sun is to tell the story of Twilight, the first book in Meyer’s bestselling series, from the perspective of Edward, a vampire and love interest of heroine Bella. Meyer wrote that she would prefer her fans not read the unfinished draft, but decided to post the entire leaked draft on her site. “I hope this fragment gives you further insight into Edward’s head and adds a new dimension to the Twilight story,” Meyer wrote. “That’s what inspired me to write it in the first place.”
In a statement, Meyer’s publisher, Little, Brown, said the leak had occurred without the knowledge of either the author or publisher, adding, “While no decisions have been made at this time regarding the publication of Midnight Sun, Stephenie Meyer is currently at work on other writing projects. Little, Brown looks forward to our continued publishing relationship with Stephenie Meyer and, like her many fans, we are eager to experience her next literary creation.”
Breaking Dawn, the fourth book in the Twilight Saga, published August 2 amid midnight parties nationwide, selling 1.3 million copies that day. A film adaptation of Twilight arrives in theaters November 21.
