The 2nd FeedARead copy is here–and a possible challenge

Now a rare beast

So this morning the second author copy of The Only Genuine Jones–which I was advised to order so that I could double check my final version–arrived from FeedARead. This means that all I have to do now before publication is one final read through (I will be getting tired of reading my own book soon!), then order a batch for launch day and approve distribution to Amazon. Fortunately I still have well over a month until my launch so it looks like the risk of a delay is starting to pass.

I’m hoping there are no further errors in the second edition, but to be honest at this stage if there are any typos left, they’re staying in!

So what to do with the first copy?


My first author copy is now a very rare beast: it is the only copy in existence of the first edition. The new version can be considered a second edition even though the changes are only very minor. Print on demand doesn’t work on the principle of print runs, so when I ordered my author copy last month that was literally the only copy of the book on the planet.

I was tempted to add the copy to my stash of books to give out to friends and family, but then it occurred to me: this is the very first copy, and in a small way, totally unique. I think it would be great to do something more creative with it.

A friend has suggested hiding it in a geocache somewhere in Glencoe, placing subtle clues to its location in a future novel, then offering a prize to the intrepid reader who finds it. The idea appeals to me on a number of levels although there may be even more creative things I could do with it.

Any thoughts? Authors, have you ever arranged a similar stunt for a first copy of one of your novels?