A spiral bound proof of Charlie Higson’s latest Young Bond novel, By Royal Command, has sold on eBay for £74 ($147.00). The seller was located in Cardiff. The auction received six bids (no, I was not a bidder).

Uncorrected Proofs (also called Advance Reading Copies) are sent to libraries, bookstores, and media outlets to spur interest and generate reviews. Proofs are not available to the general public and sometimes contain differences from the final book. For this reason, proofs are coveted by collectors.

Even though proofs carry a warning that they are not to be sold, that doesn’t always stop them from finding their way onto eBay, etc. All the Young Bond proofs have, at one time or another, been traded online, with some book dealers asking over $1000 for proofs of SilverFin in the rare original foil mailer.

By Royal Command finds James Bond in action from England to the chilling heights of the Austrian Alps. This fifth novel in Charlie Higson’s bestselling Young Bond series will be released in the UK as a hardcover and audiobook on September 4, 2008.