The novel was a " much-anticipated debut " well before its release , as a result of the book 's reception at the 2005 Frankfurt Book Fair and the six-figure advance reportedly paid for the rights to the book by publishing company Fourth Estate . Moreover , the novel promised a portrait of the kind of British young man who might have been involved in the 7 July 2005 London bombings . Publication was accompanied by an expensive promotion campaign including a tour of the United States . According to '' Time '' magazine , the advance for the book as the first part of a two-book deal was $ 675,000 . Despite the attention paid to the book , sales were relatively weak and by April 2008 only 15,000 copies had been sold . '' The Guardian '' reported that people in the publishing industry started talking of the " Londonstani effect " — when a much-hyped novel ca n't sell as well as was expected
7 July 2005 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
Londonstani