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View Full Version : Letters to, and encounters with, Stephen King



Ricky
05-04-2008, 04:42 PM
Has anyone ever actually written a letter to Stephen King--past or present? I thought it would be cool to create a thread where we post if we sent any letters to King and if we received a response.

Post away!

Ari_Racing
05-04-2008, 05:10 PM
I wrote one several years ago and received a response from Julie Eugley (one of his assistants). The reply was something like "King can't reply letters now".

Ricky
05-04-2008, 05:14 PM
That's why I decided I wasn't going to write a letter. I think I would just end up being disappointed.

wizardsrainbow
05-05-2008, 02:27 AM
I wrote him a letter a couple years ago offering to make a generous donation to his charity in return for a couple of signatures. I got a form letter back saying King stopped signing years back. It did not even address my donation offer. I felt like they did not even read my letter based on the curt response I received.

Wiz

Brice
05-05-2008, 09:21 AM
It's my understanding that someone (usually not King) reads every letter. I've no idea why they wouldn't have at least addressed your donation offer though...unless their automatic response to ANY requests for autographs is the form letter now.

Bev Vincent
05-05-2008, 09:43 AM
I wrote him in 1982, my first ever fan letter, and received a personal response on a postcard that responded to my comments and closed with hopes that I would enjoy his new book, Different Seasons.

I wrote again after The Gunslinger was revealed in the ad card at the front of Pet Sematary and received a signed form letter on cool letterhead (reproduced in The Road to the Dark Tower) telling me how I could get a copy of the second printing.

Rahfa
05-05-2008, 10:41 AM
I'm sure it's a standard form letter now...there's no advantage to make any exceptions and no upside to his assistants to have to pick and choose which request to forward on and which to ignore...makes more sense to ignore them all. He can sell 100 copies of a book on Haven (which he hasn't done lately unfortunately) and make at least as much, probably much more, than an individual donation.

Ricky
05-05-2008, 12:06 PM
It's just really disappointing that 99% of the fan letters (from real fans!) never are received by Stephen. It really pisses me off that part of the problem is that he's bombarded with autograph requests more than actual fan letters.

If I knew that he read what I wrote, and didn't receive an autograph, I'd be happy as a clam.

Girlystevedave
05-05-2008, 12:29 PM
I write letters to King every day. Instead of mailing them, I crumple up the paper and swallow it.
He can never know my true feelings.:unsure:

jhanic
05-05-2008, 01:46 PM
I would rather King wrote stories than looked at or answered fan mail.

John

LadyHitchhiker
05-05-2008, 03:07 PM
I don't know.. my sister was 9 and sent her copy of The Shining to him. 2 years later she got it back and it was signed by him...

So he has to see some of them, right?

Rahfa
05-05-2008, 04:32 PM
I don't know.. my sister was 9 and sent her copy of The Shining to him. 2 years later she got it back and it was signed by him...

So he has to see some of them, right?

That's what he used to do, sign books through the mail...but he hasn't done it in quite awhile...

alinda
05-05-2008, 04:51 PM
Remember that somewhere in his library is a
book signed by many of us from back in the .net days
I only wish I had signed it. Or kept the photos in my computer
of him opening it.

ATG
05-05-2008, 09:38 PM
When I was young I wrote him a letter expressing my disappointment that I did not have raw amazing talent like he did. I included a self addressed stamped envelope with Harold Lauders Boulder Colorado return address.
He replied with a hand written note " Thanks for your letter, and good luck with your writing. " along with about ten photo copied pages of articles written by him and published in Writers Digest.

I still have those but forgot that I had stashed the hand written note in my 1st edition of Eyes Of The Dragon, which I sold when I was hurting for cash along with forty some out books signed by Dean Koontz.

wizardsrainbow
05-06-2008, 02:56 AM
When I was young I wrote him a letter expressing my disappointment that I did not have raw amazing talent like he did. I included a self addressed stamped envelope with Harold Lauders Boulder Colorado return address.
He replied with a hand written note " Thanks for your letter, and good luck with your writing. " along with about ten photo copied pages of articles written by him and published in Writers Digest.

I still have those but forgot that I had stashed the hand written note in my 1st edition of Eyes Of The Dragon, which I sold when I was hurting for cash along with forty some out books signed by Dean Koontz.

AArrrrgggghhhh. That hurts. :cry: Sorry that happened.

Letti
05-06-2008, 03:06 AM
I don't know.. my sister was 9 and sent her copy of The Shining to him. 2 years later she got it back and it was signed by him...

So he has to see some of them, right?

After 2 years?
So now that he is even much more popular fans can get back something in 20 years.
It means there is hope.

CRinVA
05-06-2008, 04:42 AM
I'd say there is no hope in getting him to sign a book that is mailed to him. He just doesn't do it anymore. I was fortunate enough to get on that bandwagon back in the '90s. I mailed him Gift Editions of the Zeising Insomnia dn the Grant Desperation and got them both personalized. He quite doing this a few months after I got my copies back in the mail! :-)

Matt
05-06-2008, 06:12 AM
I have never really tried and assumed it would be an exercise in futility. However, I thought that about getting him to sign something for the giveaway so you never know. :lol:

CRinVA
05-06-2008, 06:31 AM
I have never really tried and assumed it would be an exercise in futility. However, I thought that about getting him to sign something for the giveaway so you never know. :lol:

Well the giveaway is in conjunctino with His Charity! ;-)

When I got my DT Poem published in Lighthouse VI I sent King a copy (Stu Tinker told me I should) - I am sure he would never see it otherwise - it's not a very populous type publlication!

I included a letter to Marsha (his admin) and I included a letter to King tucked into the page where the poem starts. I was really hoping to hear from him but have no idea if Marsha ever gave it to him or not! I was hoping as it was a Dark Tower related publication that he would take a gander at it!

Wishful thinking on my part, I guess!

Cutter
05-06-2008, 06:33 AM
I can only imaging how much mail he gets (or did when responding). It would have to be overwhelming.

Ricky
05-06-2008, 12:49 PM
The only piece of mail that I sent him was some cash for downloading The Plant and a thank-you for signing my book in D.C.

Marsha asssured me that it arrived safely but she wasn't sure if Stephen had read the thank-you.

Believe me, I could be a stalker if I really set my mind to it. ;)

John_and_Yoko
05-06-2008, 12:58 PM
I would hope he'd at least SEND BACK someone's book that they sent him, signed or not.

I sure wouldn't want to send him one of my copies of his books (not that I plan to) and then never get it back.

Bev Vincent
05-06-2008, 01:01 PM
If they sent along return postage, the office staff probably sent the books back. If not, they may not have done so.

I like Joe Lansdale's approach: "Books, magazines, etc., containing Mr. Lansdale's work, sent without return postage, will be designated a gift and will be kept or disposed of in the manner Mr. Lansdale chooses. Selling the items is a favorite choice."

Randall Flagg
10-03-2009, 10:44 AM
I am bumping this thread, and wondering what member's thoughts are about retitling the thread to include actual meetings with Stephen King.
Something like: Letters to, and encounters with Stephen King.

flaggwalkstheline
10-03-2009, 11:02 AM
I havent written him a letter or anything, I wanna send him a copy of my book when it comes out because his stories have had such a profound impact on my imagination that it seems right for him to get a copy, but I dont think it would get through

Woofer
10-03-2009, 11:07 AM
No, I had my disappointment with fan/artist letters when I was much younger. I did, however, take part in a giant card for King after the van incident.

frik
10-03-2009, 11:36 AM
I never wrote fan-King a letter, but I did send him a page from my Dutch numbered/limited edition of The Stand (this page had been glued-in, so it wasn't too hard to remove). The book origionally only came numbered, so to own a Dutch signed/limited edition would be awesome.
I also enclosed an SSA, so I expected no problems....:arg:
unfortunately, the page was not returned to me, so now I own a numbered Dutch edition of The Stand, without the dedication page (or whatever it's called...). And, this was way back in the 90s when King was still returning stuff that was sent him.

Oh wel....:(

But.....:excited:

Barbra Streisand did write me a nice thank-you note when I sent her a fan-letter!!


:clap::panic::clap::panic::clap::panic::clap::pani c::clap::panic:

sk

Matt
10-03-2009, 01:03 PM
I have had occasion over the last couple of years to write SK thank you notes for his involvement in our fund raiser. I'm pretty sure he gets them.

Dolan
10-03-2009, 04:00 PM
I've never written to King, I just figured he would never write back. But I did write to Joe Hill and he wrote back to me!

Also - I won this on eBay a while back. I actually forgot I had it until this moment LOL.

http://i484.photobucket.com/albums/rr205/nykennyny/skletter.jpg

jhanic
10-03-2009, 04:15 PM
Very nice, Kenny!

John

wizardsrainbow
10-03-2009, 06:14 PM
Yes, letters and meeting the man himself. Good combo idea Jerome.

Randall Flagg
08-12-2011, 05:31 PM
Hopefully we can update this in late September. In the meantime, anyone have a story to add?

Ari_Racing
08-13-2011, 04:54 PM
Since I was born and always lived in Argentina, I never even considered meeting King, no matter how much did I enjoy his works. But, even when my salary wasn't much, on May 2009 I decided I was going to attend Under The Dome's presentation event in New York City and the next one, no matter if it was going to be in Washington or Baltimore.

So I took a flight on November 7th, 2009, and after visiting Michael Whelan and enjoying one day in NYC, I saw him for the first time during his visit to Good Morning America, then I had him three mts away during the interview at The Times theater and then, on the next day, I was able to ask him a question, shake his hand, get my book signed and tell him I came from Argentina to meet him (to which he responded "Oh, I heard about you!", which was a shocking surprise. Later on my contact inside Scribner confirmed me that she talked with King the previous day and told him about me. :) )

I also gave him one present during my stay (a Jorge Luis Borges book, the most famous argentinian writer and one of the six writers that had Danse Macabre dedicated to). Marsha confirmed he got it, but I received no reply...and the truth is that I didn't care :).

I returned with my credit card collapsed and it took me several months to balance my accounts, but it was worth every single cent! :)

jhanic
08-13-2011, 05:19 PM
A neat story, Ari! Thanks for sharing.

John

herbertwest
08-14-2011, 04:03 AM
Truly a great story, yes, i agree !

Patrick
08-15-2011, 10:33 PM
:thumbsup:

Merlin1958
08-18-2011, 03:49 PM
Since I was born and always lived in Argentina, I never even considered meeting King, no matter how much did I enjoy his works. But, even when my salary wasn't much, on May 2009 I decided I was going to attend Under The Dome's presentation event in New York City and the next one, no matter if it was going to be in Washington or Baltimore.

So I took a flight on November 7th, 2009, and after visiting Michael Whelan and enjoying one day in NYC, I saw him for the first time during his visit to Good Morning America, then I had him three mts away during the interview at The Times theater and then, on the next day, I was able to ask him a question, shake his hand, get my book signed and tell him I came from Argentina to meet him (to which he responded "Oh, I heard about you!", which was a shocking surprise. Later on my contact inside Scribner confirmed me that she talked with King the previous day and told him about me. :) )

I also gave him one present during my stay (a Jorge Luis Borges book, the most famous argentinian writer and one of the six writers that had Danse Macabre dedicated to). Marsha confirmed he got it, but I received no reply...and the truth is that I didn't care :).

I returned with my credit card collapsed and it took me several months to balance my accounts, but it was worth every single cent! :)

Great story, Ari!!! Is there more to the visit with Mr. Whelan?

Nerak
08-19-2011, 01:37 PM
Does working at one of his publisher's and having him walk in count!!! Considering the fact that since he started working with DMG in 1982 and that was the first time he came to the office, I thought it was pretty cool!!!! It was around his birthday in 2009 and I got to hand him a birthday card and got a one arm hug from him! (Fan girl squee)
There was also the FDNS signing when he commented on Hubby's shirt and then showed us his t-shirt!!
Ah, I love The Man!

surly
08-19-2011, 06:37 PM
Does working at one of his publisher's and having him walk in count!!! Considering the fact that since he started working with DMG in 1982 and that was the first time he came to the office, I thought it was pretty cool!!!! It was around his birthday in 2009 and I got to hand him a birthday card and got a one arm hug from him! (Fan girl squee)
There was also the FDNS signing when he commented on Hubby's shirt and then showed us his t-shirt!!
Ah, I love The Man!
cooooooool.

Ari_Racing
08-20-2011, 08:06 AM
Awesome story! :)

Lilja
08-20-2011, 02:53 PM
Well, me and a friend went to London for his Lisey’s Story tour there back in 2006. I meet him a numerous of times during these days:

- Signing at Borders

- Reading and signing at Battersea Park

- Publisher party where I got my photo taken with him as well as a chance to talk to him briefly.

- Front row on a press conference King did about Lisey’s Story where I got to ask the last question which was if he could tell us the name of the upcoming Bachman book. He did and that was the first time we got it confirmed that it was Blaze that was being released.

- Signing at ASDA supermarket

I wrote about it on my site, you can see pictures and more here: http://www.liljas-library.com/section.php?id=42

Lilja

Ari_Racing
08-20-2011, 03:01 PM
Sweet! I remember about that chronicle! :)

Awesome week, wasn't it?

Lilja
08-20-2011, 03:02 PM
Sure was. I have an even better article about it in Swedish. Maybe some day I'll translate it.

Lilja

ESW
08-29-2011, 04:45 PM
My husband once took me to a reading/interview presented by Stephen King in San Francisco several years ago. I made a hand-bound book with poetry and artwork in it--one of a kind--but was (of course!) not allowed to present it to King during the Q & A session at the end of the program. I gave it to an usher guy who said he'd take it right up to King but I never heard a thing more about it. If Stephen King ever got that book, and even liked it a little bit, I'm cool with that--if it's floating around in the ether somewhere, or still gathering dust in a drawer in the theater in San Francisco somewhere, I hope whoever finds it enjoys it.

Patrick
08-31-2011, 10:04 PM
I like your attitude, Erin!

By any chance, was the event the one at the Herbst Theater?

ESW
09-01-2011, 05:53 AM
Thank you Patrick...yes, it was the reading/conversation at the Herbst. My husband took me there for a birthday present! (Pretty great present I'd say.)

Merlin6399
09-27-2013, 05:32 AM
I don't want it to come across as bragging, but there are not too many people in the world that can appreciate the magnitude of this.

While we attended the "Interview with Stephen King" in Hartford a while back, I casually asked Stephen King if he was planning to auction off any more copies of the New Lieutenant's Rap (we all know the story and why they are so rare). He said for me to write down my address, we did, and didn't really think much more of it. We thought he was INCREDIBLY nice, down to earth, easy to talk with, and we had an amazing time. Well, unbelievably, we got a copy in the mail yesterday!!! He wrote "For Jane, Sorry this took so long, finally found some in our attic." Then there is the original signature in black ink, and then dated 9/22/13. (Jane is my wife that grew up in Bangor, Maine...thus, she has been a life long King fan).

If someone can let me know how to create the photo URLs, I will post some pics. I am testing to see if this works.

http://http://s910.photobucket.com/user/Merlin6399/media/KJwithSK_zpsd7c9cc81.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5

Again, I am not trying to gloat, but simply want to share an incredible story that illustrates what an amazing person King is, and how much he cares about his fans.

I am overwhelmed!

fearless-freak
09-27-2013, 05:37 AM
when you post there's an icon of a tree in a square box, thats the image icon

Randall Flagg
09-27-2013, 05:47 AM
I don't want it to come across as bragging, but there are not too many people in the world that can appreciate the magnitude of this.

While we attended the "Interview with Stephen King" in Hartford a while back, I casually asked Stephen King if he was planning to auction off any more copies of the New Lieutenant's Rap (we all know the story and why they are so rare). He said for me to write down my address, we did, and didn't really think much more of it. We thought he was INCREDIBLY nice, down to earth, easy to talk with, and we had an amazing time. Well, unbelievably, we got a copy in the mail yesterday!!! He wrote "For Jane, Sorry this took so long, finally found some in our attic." Then there is the original signature in black ink, and then dated 9/22/13. (Jane is my wife that grew up in Bangor, Maine...thus, she has been a life long King fan).

If someone can let me know how to create the photo URLs, I will post some pics.

Again, I am not trying to gloat, but simply want to share an incredible story that illustrates what an amazing person King is, and how much he cares about his fans.

I am overwhelmed!
Normally you need 5 posts before you can post an image.
I'll fix your profile to bypass that.

Merlin6399
09-27-2013, 05:58 AM
The original thread seemed to disappear when I was trying to edit and put in pics - so I apologize if this comes up twice.

If someone can let me know how to create the photo URLs, I will post some pics.

Merlin6399
09-27-2013, 06:02 AM
Trying again because I am new and had a hard time editing the first thread.

I don't want it to come across as bragging, but there are not too many people in the world that can appreciate the magnitude of this.

While we attended the "Interview with Stephen King" in Hartford a while back, I casually asked Stephen King if he was planning to auction off any more copies of the New Lieutenant's Rap (we all know the story and why they are so rare). He said for me to write down my address, we did, and didn't really think much more of it. We thought he was INCREDIBLY nice, down to earth, easy to talk with, and we had an amazing time. Well, unbelievably, we got a copy in the mail yesterday!!! He wrote "For Jane, Sorry this took so long, finally found some in our attic." Then there is the original signature in black ink, and then dated 9/22/13. (Jane is my wife that grew up in Bangor, Maine...thus, she has been a life long King fan).

If someone can let me know how to create the photo URLs, I will post some pics. Testing some below.

http://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac305/Merlin6399/KJwithSK_zpsd7c9cc81.jpg


http://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac305/Merlin6399/IMG_0498_zps4c8ac670.jpg


http://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac305/Merlin6399/IMG_0500_zps92569e0d.jpg

Again, I am not trying to gloat, but simply want to share an incredible story that illustrates what an amazing person King is, and how much he cares about his fans.

I am overwhelmed!

The Library Policeman
09-27-2013, 06:28 AM
Amazing! Great story. Thanks for sharing.

Ari_Racing
09-27-2013, 07:08 AM
Congratulations! What a great story! :)

SirFolio16
09-27-2013, 07:27 AM
Awesome story... congrats

sentinel
09-27-2013, 07:50 AM
Congratulations! That's awesome!

jhanic
09-27-2013, 08:06 AM
Wonderful! And well deserved!

John

Shannon
09-27-2013, 08:23 AM
Wonderful! Great job!

Stockerlone
09-27-2013, 08:38 AM
Congrats, amazing story !!!

mattgreenbean
09-27-2013, 09:31 AM
I know it's not gloating, but I'm jealous as Hell!!
My girlfriend works with a guy who grew up with and played little league baseball with Joe. I keep telling her to get me a hook up with something awesome like The New Lieutenant's Rap. Or you know, anything.

carlosdetweiller
09-27-2013, 11:46 AM
Hey Kinn and Jane, I think I met you at Betts in 1998. You both look just as good now as you did then. King on the other hand has aged quite a bit. Welcome to the site!

Rachel Readman
09-27-2013, 11:58 AM
I don't know why but you both look familiar to me, yet there is no way we have met. I wonder if someone has posted photos of you before??

A great story, congratulations. Very generous of Stephen to send that to you.

Merlin6399
09-28-2013, 09:27 AM
Thank you everyone. That was the night that started it all for me Carlos. My wife has been a life long fan, but meeting him in person jump started my addiction....and it IS an addiction. Rachel, I am not sure if someone has posted pics of us before, but we do try to get to King events. Very excited we received our lettered edition of "The Dark Man" a couple days ago. Small book, but incredible presentation! Pop up box and all. Looking forward to receiving lettered Shining and Dr. Sleep!!! Thanks again to everyone for the warm welcome....especially you Bill! :-)

TwistedNadine
09-28-2013, 10:28 AM
Wow! How cool is that?
Congratulations and welcome to the site

Merlin1958
09-28-2013, 05:04 PM
Me? I'm honored!!!! You are more than welcome. However, you ain't no "Merlin" LOL LOL LOL J/K Welcome to the site and community!!! You will be hard put to find another as tight as this one!!!

Patrick
10-01-2013, 10:53 PM
What a great story! Welcome to TDT.org, I hope you stick around and continue to post.

Randall Flagg
12-13-2014, 12:55 PM
We should have some additions to this thread in late January.

skyofcrack
12-13-2014, 01:14 PM
I wrote King several times in the 1980's. I believe he responded to all of them. Very cordial and sometimes funny. I never tried to send a book for a signature. Not my thing.

RC65
12-13-2014, 05:11 PM
I'd say there is no hope in getting him to sign a book that is mailed to him. He just doesn't do it anymore. I was fortunate enough to get on that bandwagon back in the '90s. I mailed him Gift Editions of the Zeising Insomnia dn the Grant Desperation and got them both personalized. He quite doing this a few months after I got my copies back in the mail! :-)

I was also lucky enough to get on this bandwagon back in the '90s. That experience and meeting him (reading, Q&A, and shaking hands and getting two books signed) at a signing stop he did in my area during the BAG OF BONES tour comprise my two encounters with Mr. King.

Sir_Boomme
12-13-2014, 07:55 PM
I sent him some naked pictures of myself....

Been a couple of years and still waiting to hear back

Sir_Boomme
12-13-2014, 08:00 PM
thinking Tabitha might have picked up the mail that day and kept them for herself.

Mr. Rabbit Trick
12-14-2014, 12:17 AM
I sent him some naked pictures of myself....

Been a couple of years and still waiting to hear back

He used them as inspiration for the bath scene in The Shining!