[Mark Robson]

Thanks, Julie, your comments are most helpful. As I said before, I have no problem with people selling proofs - far from it. I understand the collecting bug as well as anyone. It's selling before the published date that irks. I can also see the positives that Darren Shan has mentioned. I find it particularly irritating that the books are clearly unread by the person in question. As, by the mere fact that they've been sent a proof, this person must be in the industry in one form or another and expected to read the proofs they are sent. This selling on without bothering to read first seems a particularly unsavoury form of profiteering to me.

As you quite rightly point out, the whole publishing world can appear to treat the majority of authors as second class citizens at times, perhaps worthy of being thrown a dirty old bone every now and then. I'm not saying I fall into this category - in fact I feel as if I've been treated very well by the industry to date, so I'm not one to whine by habit.

I suppose there will always be something that will cause us to bristle at times, though. This was just one of those little irritations. No one seems to be taking much notice of the proofs appearing - I'm not sure whether that's a good or a bad thing now. I think I'll just have to choose to ignore it from now on.