Watch for Fake PR

Maybe you’ve heard about Michael Crichton’s forthcoming book, Next.  Right after Thanksgiving, it will release into the bookstores. HarperCollins is printing two million copies for their first release—which is a large number of books for any publisher.

I’d encourage you to watch for the Internet ads related to this book. I’ve already spotted one of them on Shelf Awareness but when I tried the link I had saved to show you, another ad was appearing. Last week’s Wall Street Journal included an article called “Believe It or Not, Fake Biotech Firm Is Key Marketing Ploy for Crichton Novel.” As the article explains, some of these fake schemes can lead to a backlash. It will be interesting to see what happens with this Crichton book. I’ve read many of his books over the years.

I am not a proponent for this type of marketing campaign but it will definitely catch people’s attention. For my way of thinking, there is something with a switch and bait feel about using a fake biotech company as a lure to get readers to learn about a new novel. It risks potential backlash from the public.  It’s something interesting to watch in the days ahead.