Beyond the Starport Adventure.
It’s a difficult decision, but I think I made the right one.
Initially, I put together a cover for BTSA featuring a solitary blonde girl in a science-fiction looking outfit. She was holding a futuristic and oversized handgun. Behind her, a wall of flames and fire. However, the picture did not convey anything that actually took place in BTSA. Lacking the artistic skill to design a cover, I took what I thought of to be an easy option just to get the novel published and live. Fortunately, not soon thereafter, talented local artist Sylke Hamel produce a cover I consider completely ideal.
I’d crossed several hurdles. BTSA was written and it had the cover I’d always hoped for. I just needed to get people to read it. Amazon allow browsing customers the opportunity to read the first couple of chapters, which I guess allows a potential reader to decide whether or not they think it’s going to be a worthwhile experience before committing to download the whole book. The other option is to take a leaf from some of the other scifi writers out there and include another sample from the novel. Of course, this tidbit would contain part of the novel that the author considered his or her best work. But, at the same time, it would contain spoilers for the novel itself.
Showing some of the awesome moments within BTSA is extremely tempting. I mean, I have no doubt that it would improve the download figures for the book. But, at the same time, there’s no way of releasing a sample like that without spoiling something about the story. So I decided not to do that, and I’m sticking to my guns.
It’s a difficult decision, but I think it’s the right one.
Today, I’m sipping my fourth coffee of the day from a mug my son painted for me a long time ago. I’m listening to Talisman from Air’s spectacular Moon Safari album. The action packed prologue to Bullet – Beyond the Starport Adventure’s sequel – is complete. I can’t wait to truly get stuck into the body of this novel. The adventures of Matt Silverman continue.