AJ Finn webchat/promo needs reconsidering, no?!

[Somerville]

Hi HQ,
Can I ask whether you are reconsidering the webchat with Dan (“AJ Finn”) in the light of the revelations in the New Yorker article about him. He lied about having cancer. He lied abous relatives being dead who are alive. He may well have stolen the plotline, urinated in his former boss’s office repeatedly, and displayed misogyny to other colleagues. He is a charlatan.

More discussion on this thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/book_of_the_month/3455599-January-Book-of-the-Month-The-Woman-in-the-Window-by-A-J-Finn-Post-a-question-ahead-of-the-author-webchat-on-Wednesday-6-February-at-5pm?watched=1&msgid=84712203#84712203

I know publishers pay large amounts for your book of the month slots, but personally I find them such a missed opportunity. There are so many big readers on MN and we could find some really interesting new authors if you curated the slots well. But instead it often goes to the latest cynical marketing ploy of supermarket pulp. This one is case in point - written by rich, lazy, white man who sums up all that is worst about publishing and indeed was published by his employer This kind of situation is a significant part of why women, people of colour, those with disabilities, etc... find it so hard to get a leg up as writers or elsewhere in the industry.

Come on HQ, it’s now 48 hours since the article was published (and exploded over social media) and more than 24 hours since it was raised on MN. Now we’re just hours from the web chat, and you’ve still got it - and this charlatan’s face - stickied all over the site. Is it going ahead or not? @soniamumsnet

(That’s a different name to the other one I’ve now heard bsc but TBH I hadn’t particularly heard of either of them.)

Hi,

Just letting you know that we've flagged your concerns and questions to the webchat organisers, and we're waiting to hear back what they say.

We'll keep you posted.

Okay.
Umm... you get that the concerns and questions did not emanate from me, right? There is widespread concern - anger even - at Daniel Mallory’s actions amongst readers.

I assumed it would have already been called off TBH but will add my question now just in case it’s not.
Don’t know what point that makes to trolls though.

Is it still going ahead?
Blimey.
I'd have thought he'd be off to change his name (again) sharpish.
Bet Gary Oldman's fecked off.

We're going to have to cancel this evening's webchat, apologies to those of you that have already posted a question. Here's what HarperCollins have said:

Unfortunately A.J. Finn is not doing interviews or PR at the current time and so we will have to postpone the scheduled webchat.

Haha. I just bet he's not.
Thanks Somerville for flagging this up.

PMSL

I've just seen this! I'd logged on to come to the web chat and hadn't seen the article that had been posted. wow

people are suggesting that theres a lot more to come out about him - i dunno what because in that article he comes across as BAAADD.

also support the motion that mn supports new female novelists maybe (me, me, me!)

Given how most people save the best of themselves for professional environments, I keep wondering what he may have done in his personal life.
Are you wilriting a book Helmet or is one out? I like MNer books.

Good decision. I wonder what else there is? Was that article everything, or just the tip of the iceberg? And I wonder whether the film will still go ahead? Intriguing.

mm, unless there are law suits...i think the film will go ahead, writers are the lowest of the low in the hollywood hierarchy.

i had two books out last year, meant to be working on number three now?! the first was about something i read on here - if youre interested, pm me. no pressure!

that New Yorker article

Result

Well at least we know he's good at making up stories.