Stephen King mocks James Patterson for writing his own praise
The promotional material for the latest from Patterson, The Black Book, includes a quote by the author praising his own work

Everyone has their own little manners self-promotion, but James Patterson's seems particularly bold.
Though he may be the world's best-selling author, Patterson recently raised a few eyebrows in the literary world when the promotional material for his latest book, The Black Book, seemed to quote none other than the man himself.
Underneath a giant red headline reading, "Patterson at his best", his quote reads: "I think The Black Book is my best work in 20 years. Better than Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls."
It's certainly strange whichever way you frame it, though Patterson has always been open about the fact he employs co-authors on his books, expanding upon a narrative framework provided by Patterson, who then either personally rewrites or provides notes on their drafts.
Still, the author's praise for his own book elicited a fair amount of besument from several prominent authors, including Stephen King, who has in the past labelled Patterson's work as "terrible".
There's certainly one takeaway to be had here: don't let Hollywood find out about any of this.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies