Tao Lin's promotional spam-mongering tactics have not made Gawker a fan of the author; last year the website addressed Lin, saying, "I know you're reading this. I just want you to know that because of your ill-conceived self-marketing strategy, you have 100% guaranteed that I will never read your damned book. You're maybe perhaps the single most irritating person we've ever had to deal with." They added that his stunts are "retarded" and "deceptive."

Well, it took Lin nearly a year to plan his retaliation; his weapon: a fallen pop star. This morning Gawker employees reached their office only to be greeted by a door laden with Lin's promotional paraphernalia: Britney Spears stickers, most likely applied by his "army of interns" in the hopes of getting some press for his new book. [via Nick McGlynn]

UPDATE: Did Tao Lin steal the Britney idea? A reader writes in: "There is a free East Village newspaper (struggling, printed on brown paper) I grabbed in a downtown Mexican bakery on 1st Ave between 4th and 5th. On the top was a banner to advertise in that paper which read: 'Britney Spears -- now that we've got your attention, why not advertise with us.' Tao Lin Totally ripped it off that"

UPDATE: The receptionist has been charged with the duty of peeling off the stickers.