How 'Diary of an Oxygen Thief' Went from Self-Published Obscurity to Bestsellerdom

With this in mind, the author went out into the streets of New York and put up posters. Some featured profane statements and the book's title; others simply displayed the book's cover. The posters of the book's cover were placed side by side on scaffolding, in the wheat-pasting tradition, to mimic ads promoting bands and albums that often dot urban landscapes. To draw readers in another way, the author created a fake profile on a popular dating website-he declined to say which one-with photos of a beautiful woman. The profile directed potential suitors to read a book called Diary of an Oxygen Thief. "I gave the impression that, if they were to read this book, they might have more of an amorous chance with me," he said. Again, as with the posters, the goal was to get people to plug the book's title into their Web browsers.