Stephen King wrote a few parts of a story called "The Plant" and sent out as chapbooks to his friends instead of Christmas cards in 1982, 1983, and 1985. Only three instalments were produced by Philtrum Press before the story was shelved (the original editions are hotly sought-after collector's items today).
Now King has picked up The Plant again and started to publish it as an electronic serial. The first part (matching the 1982 story) was put on his own web site http://www.stephenking.com/ for anyone to download. He also said that he wanted everyone that downloaded the story to pay him $1 (either before or after reading it).
The idea was that if enough people paid up, more parts would be published in the same way. The limit was set at 75%. The rate of paying customers decreased over time, but at least the first parts were over the set limit. As of now (mid-2001), six parts have been published (making up the first somewhat self-contained part of the novel). King has said that there will be more, but that some other projects will be finished first.
The story tells of a person working as editor on a paperback publishing house. One day he gets a manuscript from what seems like a crackpot. It's about magic, but it also contains photographs that seem very real. He writes a rejection slip about the book, but on grounds of the photographs, he also notifies the police where the author lives. This enrages the author who sends a mysterious plant to the editor's office.
The story is told in epistolarly format, consisting entirely of letters, memos, and so on.
