James Patterson Takes a Page from Snapchat With a Self-Destructing Novel

James Patterson has taken a page from Snapchat by offering a self-destructing version of his new book, “Private Vegas.” This exploding edition will be sold to one wealthy fan to set off the promotion of this new novel, which is due out on January 26 from Little, Brown and Company. The asking price of $294,038 will certainly burn a hole in the wallet, but this special edition’s amazing ability to self-destruct in 24 hours makes it a hot ticket among the author’s feverish followers. The New York Times posted more about the hottest book on the market today.

The edition’s scorching price tag includes a first-class flight to a secret location, with two nights’ stay at a luxury hotel and a pair of 14-karat gold-plated binoculars. But the highlight of the experience will be a gourmet dinner with Mr. Patterson, who will present the self-destructing edition that will explode just 24 hours after the buyer begins reading it. The details of this fiery finale are a well-guarded secret, but the purchaser can expect to get a visit from the bomb squad.

As another part of this sizzling strategy, a digital version that virtually destructs just 24 hours after beginning the book will be offered for free to 1,000 people. Starting yesterday at noon, fans could visit selfdestructingbook.com where special codes were released to access one of these 1,000 versions. But these fans had to be quick, because the word was spreading like wildfire.

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