Last January, I passed on a story involving a pickled baby dragon in a jar that was making its way around the ‘net. Turns out the entire thing was a hoax…a hoax that landed the perpetrator a book deal!

An author who was so desperate to get his book published that he staged a hoax involving a baby dragon has won a lucrative publishing contract.

After numerous rejections Allistair Mitchell concocted a tale that a dragon had been found in a garage last year. He said: “I created the hoax in order to attract potential readers.” Mr Mitchell, based in Oxford, has now signed an book deal with Waterstone’s for his book Unearthly History, a thriller featuring a dragon.

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p>Nicely done!

(via Neil Gaiman)

[See also: Pickled Dragon found | Search inside! | Kevin and Emily, sitting in a tree… | Eragon and Dragon Wings | Top 10 scientific hoaxes ]

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