For £200,000 one fan will get 24 hours to read his latest book before it explodes. Although the precise detail of the destruction are unclear, a SWAT team will be on hand to deal with any issues. 

 

Patterson, author of Unlucky 13 and Cross My Heart, says that as book shops are increasingly closing publishers need to be as imaginative as film companies in creating a hype around a new novel. 

 

Unlike the film industry's red-carpet premieres, Hollywood luminaries¹ and huge advertising² budgets, book launches with signings and readings are a more staid affair. 

 

"The publishing business needs to compete," he said. "It needs to compete with movies and the Internet." 

 

For £194,000 one avid³ reader will be flown to an undisclosed location for a meal with Patterson and will be given a copy of Private Vegas ahead of its launch at the end of the month. 

 

A special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team will also be on hand to handle the explosive thriller⁴.

 

Also as part of the promotion⁵, 1,000 fans will be able to download free copies of the book from the website selfdestructingbook.com. Each book will have a 24-hour digital timer that cannot be paused or cancelled. 

 

"Twenty four hours after you start it, the book will no longer be there," said Patterson, 67. "I hope this spurs more ways to get attention." 

 

He added: "This seemed like a terrific way to draw attention to a book in a way that has never been done before," he explained. "In the history of publishing there hasn't been anything like this."

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