Breaking news: Books that aren't E.L. James' "Fifty Shades of Grey" can succeed, too. James dominated bedrooms and bestseller lists this year with her BDSM-laced erotic love story of a billionaire and his demure plaything, and now one of 2012's other breakout hits - Gillian Flynn's thriller, "Gone Girl" - is reaping the rewards of its popularity. The book has scored the Flynn a two-book deal with publisher Crown, as well as a contract for one young adult book with Delacorte Press.
The bestselling writer and former Entertainment Weekly critic smashed all expectations, selling and otherwise with her third novel this summer. Thanks to that success, Flynn has signed on to write her first young adult novel for Delacourte Press. In addition to that deal, Crown has signed a contract for a fourth adult novel, slated for 2015, and an additional novel for adults after that. Release dates for her fifth adult novel and her first young adult novel have not been disclosed.
Although there are virtually no details yet about Flynn's foray into the world of young adult literature, "themes of self harm, violence, small-town prejudice, and smothering parents run through Flynn's adult novels, so it's a reasonable bet to guess that her first book for teens will go into dark territory as well," says Entertainment Weekly.
Flynn's newly announced adult novel "will be in the tradition of her darkly brilliant and gripping previous books," said Crown publisher Molly Stern. When The New York Times asked if additional plot details were available for either new book, a press representative for the publisher said in an e-mail, "Unfortunately no."
Released in June 2012, "Gone Girl" has already sold more than 2 million copies in print and as an e-book.
"Gone Girl" tells the story of a marriage gone terribly wrong. During the fifth anniversary party for couple Nick and Amy Dunne, the "cleaver, beautiful" Amy suddenly disappears without a trace from their rented "McMansion on the Mississippi River." Nick doesn't do himself any favors in her absence. "The town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior," and is strangely evasive in questioning, says the book's synopsis.
Nick's twin sister Margo stands by his side as he proclaims his innocence. But if Nick isn't really responsible for his wife's disappearance, than who or what is?
"Gone Girl" spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the hardcover fiction best-seller list of The New York Times. A film adaptation is planned by 20th Century Fox, which Reese Witherspoon will produce and possibly star in. Flynn is on board to write the film's screenplay. Bruna Papandrea and Leslie Dixon will also produce.
Striking away from the scores of "Fifty Shades of Grey" imitators, "Gone Girl" has cut its own path to success.
"It's a trickier book, but I don't think it's so much more wildly well-written than the other two, that it's 'Oh, I finally figured out how to write a book.' But I do think it's the subject matter, the male-female narrator, that push-and-pull between the two narrators and what it's like to be in a long-term relationship," said Flynn analyzing her book's popularity.
She continued: "It has a lot of entry points for readers - what it feels to be a guy right now, which Nick kind of thinks about a lot; what it feels like to be a woman right now; what it feels like to lose your job right now in this economy; what it feels like to be in the Midwest. So I think there's a lot of things people like to compare notes on, and I think that's why it's been so embraced by book clubs. It has a lot of things to agree or disagree with."
Of course, subject matter, and characters aren't the only thing driving the book's sales. The wild popularity of "Gone Girl" has been helped in large part to bookseller enthusiasm for the novel. Flynn's book has become very hot with book clubs. It was an Indie Next pick of independent booksellers, an Amazon Best Books of the Month selection for June, and a "First Read" selection of NPR. Real Simple, Jezebel and Martha Stewart Living also all selected it for their online book clubs.
"We published it thinking it would be a big hit. We put everything we had into it, but we had no idea it would do this," says Crown publisher Molly Stern. "It is the kind of success that unless Oprah picks it or there's some obvious moment, it's a very hard and frankly fun thing to analyze."
Stern also points to behind-the-scenes publishing efforts, the timing of the release, Flynn's popularity with the media, and her past accomplishments as factors in the book's success- her first two novels, "Sharp Objects" and "Dark Places," were critically acclaimed.
"But do any one of those facts make a hit like this? No. Do all of them? Maybe," said Stern. "And there's something about it being in the air a bit. Everybody's talking about one book, and this turned out to be that book.