Regular versions of Han Han's new book being bought at a newsstand Monday. The sign to the right reads "Han Han 1988 already arrived, 25 yuan."  Photo: Cai Xianmin

By Liu Dong

The latest book by popular Shanghai writer and blogger Han Han had its official release date brought forward by a day to Monday to prevent any pre-release leaks after a batch of the books were lost in transit.

The original launch date had been set for today, coinciding with the author's birthday. However, the publisher claimed that 5,000 books went missing while being transported to other cities, prompting the change in launch date.

The novel is based on the author's travels around China when he was younger. Regular versions of the book are priced at 25 yuan ($3.7), although 100 limited-edition hardback versions will be priced at 988 yuan ($147) each.

Zhen Yu, Han Han's publishing agent, Monday told local media that the high price of the limited book was due to the "advanced materials" and "complicated workmanship" used in the book's packaging. However, he declined to reveal the precise cost of production.

A poll by online.shanghai.cn, a local news website, showed 87 percent of total some 200 respondents who were interested in the new book would not consider buying the limited edition.

"It is just a marketing method to promote his book," a publisher, who asked to remain anonymous, said. "Its purpose is not to sell the limited-edition books but to raise the title's overall popularity."

Han Han is a candidate for Time's "World's Most Influential People in 2010" list.