Stephen King’s marketing team plans to send text messages on his behalf — to 100,000 cellphone users, reports the WSJ.

On Jan. 24, the Scribner imprint is publishing Mr. King’s new novel, “Cell,” about apocalyptic havoc wreaked by cellphones. To promote the dark tale, Scribner has devised an elaborate Web- and cellphone-based marketing campaign.

Scribner will give Mr. King’s fans the opportunity to buy ring tones of his voice, a first for the book business.