Culturally significant or common household names always found a way into literature but it is the first time I find two mentions of brands so blatantly placed that the only conclusion I’m led to reach is of paid product placement.
The book in question is “The House in the Woods”, by Mark Dawson. In the very first few paragraphs there is a mention to Hello Fresh, with a not so subtle description of the service, along with an admission of a character on how the instructions to prepare a meal are so simple even they can follow it, and a mention to Spotify. Deeper into the book I’ve already noticed a mention of Nescafé instant coffee.
None of these mentioned brands needed to be there. The writer seems proficient enough to be able to write without resorting to such name placements. The story telling is fluid, with a smooth but dense tone to it, which is something I enjoy in crime/drama/mistery novels.
Has this been a thing for a long time and only now I’m noticing the elephant in the room or is this a rising trend?
Everyone needs and deserves to make a living but not like this.
Unless we can find a means to cut out of the equation the standard publishing houses to force books to become more affordable, I see it as very difficult.
In my country, paperback pocket edition, historically cheaper and specifically made to draw more readers, simply vanished from the market.
I could buy a full lenght novel anywhere from 3,50€ to 7,50€ and find that kind of book in coffee shops, euro stores, etc. Nowadays, the cheapest I can find a new book starts at 12,50€.
There was a time I thought self publishing could be the answer but the dragons raised their heads and razed that hope.