 The novel grew out of Benchley's interest in shark attacks after he learned about the exploits of shark fisherman Frank Mundus in 1964.Doubleday commissioned him to write the novel in 1971, a period when Benchley worked as a freelance journalist.Through a marketing campaign orchestrated by Doubleday and paperback publisher Bantam, "Jaws" was incorporated into many book sales clubs catalogues and attracted media interest.