Stephen King and John Grisham are among 16 authors selling the right to have a character in a book named for the highest bidder in an effort to raise money for the First Amendment Project, a California-based nonprofit group that promotes freedom of information and expression.

Details of exactly what each author is offering have been posted on Internet auction site eBay and the auctions will be held between September 1 and September 25, the group says, according to Reuters.

King says he is offering the chance to name a character in a novel called "CELL," to be published in 2006 or 2007.

"Buyer should be aware that 'CELL' is a violent piece of work, which comes complete with zombies set in motion by bad cell phone signals that destroy the human brain," King says.

"Like cheap whiskey, it's very nasty and extremely satisfying," he says on the site, adding that if the buyer wanted the character to die, it must be a female name.

David Greene of the First Amendment Project, which provides legal representation in freedom of expression cases, says fans had already shown significant interest.

"My job is to put out the most conservative estimate and we're hoping to raise somewhere between $40,000 and $50,000 between the 16 authors," Greene tells Reuters.