It's Official: Bob Dylan Signs Six-Book Publishing Deal

My last blog posting pondered whether we would soon see Chronicles Volume Two, as posited by Uncut magazine's weekly email blast. It appears those assumptions weren't "Blowin' in the Wind." Among Rolling Stone's headlines this morning came the announcement that Bob Dylan has indeed signed a six-book publishing contract with Simon & Schuster. According to Andy Greene, the deal includes the two long-awaited follow-up installments to 2004's acclaimed Chronicles Volume One, as well as a book based on dialogue from his Sirius/XM radio show Theme Time Radio Hour."

Crain's New York Business reported on January 16 that literary agent Andrew Wylie had reached the agreement with Simon & Schuster after months of shopping it around to other publishers, in spite of S&S's insistence that it already owned the rights to Dylan's Chronicles series.  Wylie apparently argued that since the book was a collection of "non-fiction stories" rather than a memoir, S&S didn't own the rights to it.  No other publishing company would touch it, however, fearing legal action from S&S.  Wylie was reportedly negotiating an eight-figure sum for the deal, but no word on the final price has been issued.

At any rate, the deal has been inked, so hopefully we shall soon hear of the imminent release of Volume Two, as well as news of what the other books in the series will consist of.  The moment I know, my dear readers, so shall you . . .

Further reading:

Bob Dylan Signs Six-Book Deal (Andy Greene, Rolling Stone)

Highway S&S Revisited (Crain's New York Business)

Bob Dylan's new book deal - What does it mean? (Harold Lepidus/Bob Dylan Examiner)