Simon and Schuster’s have just published promotional advice for authors, concentrating on internet presence. It makes my head spin to think of social networking to this extent. And when an author’s presence isn’t genuine (Hi, here’s my book. Buy it. Bye), does it really help promote them? Simon and Schuster do warn against this reader off-putting behaviour.

So how much of an author’s online presence is an extension of their natural interest and sociability, and how much is manufactured? When the author becomes “brand”, how is integrity measured?