by J.J. Moody
PART ONE
From the author
Dear Reader,
Thank you for taking the time to read this first part of the Silverstone story!
I hope you enjoyed it, and that you are as excited as I am about what comes next for Ben Silverstone in the strange land in which he has found himself, and to discover why he’s there and if he makes it back to Hulstead!
But right now, I need to ask for your help in two very important ways to complete Ben’s journey.
Firstly, please send me your feedback!
My hope is that this story will be one that resonates in different ways and at different levels with readers, and I want to hear from you. I’m publishing the story in stages in part so that I can take into account your feedback to shape the rest of Ben’s journey (see the Q&A below for more details). So please, help me help you get the most out of it!
You can do this by emailing me directly at [email protected]
Secondly, please leave a review!
The Silverstone story is just getting started, and for it to gain an audience and grow it desperately needs reviews. Typically only 1% of readers actually leave feedback, and in many cases those with negative reactions are more likely to review than those with positive feelings, which can distort the overall rating level. The volume of reviews is critical in persuading readers to purchase a book, so your voice is extremely powerful!
So if you have a few minutes to leave a short, honest review, I would appreciate it greatly!
Thank you once again for reading!
More information about the story including artwork and clues about the next parts will be available on the website soon. www.silverstonestory.com
Sincerely,
James
Q&A
Q: Why are you publishing the Silverstone story in several parts, rather than in one go as a traditional novel?
A: The whole story will cover three whole novels, so was always going to be broken up in the same way as many fantasy stories are split traditionally, but we have gone a step further and broken the individual novels into separate parts, each published separately.
There are a few reasons for this but the basic one is that I wanted to try to build a connection with the readers. Firstly I wanted to try to build interest in the story with readers gradually, and in a way encourage them to reflect on individual parts, and what might happen next, before being given the ‘official’ version, and so help to fire their imaginations. Ben’s imagination is really a major ingredient in the story, and so I liked the way this method of publishing helped relate that back to the readers. If readers join the story after several parts have already been released they can catch up quickly of course, but at least for some it will hopefully help fuel their own interpretations.
Secondly I also really wanted to be able to listen to feedback from readers as the story was written, rather than after it was finished, and have the opportunity to actually take this into account. This stems from some of the major themes in the story and the desire to connect them back to the readers in a deeper, more meaningful way, which I felt this way of publishing allowed more than the traditional route.
There will be concerns from some readers that the parts may not come frequently enough and that may hinder their enjoyment and I understand that, so we will try to stick to a regular publishing timetable to help maintain the momentum and try to deal with that issue as best we can.
Q: What is the timetable to publish the next part of the Silverstone story?
A: The intention is to publish a part at least every three months. We know it is important to keep this regular to maintain the progress of the story, because while we want to build suspense, we don’t want to cut off enjoyment by taking too long between each part. The date for publication will be announced right at the end of the previous part of the story, and we will stick to it as best we can!
Once the first complete novel (SILVERSTONE) is published, the second novel in the series will begin after a short break. The idea at the moment is for each individual book to comprise three or four parts and to bring Ben’s full story to a conclusion over three full books.
Silverstone Part Two: A Mage Revealed is available now!
For more information about the Silverstone series, visit www.silverstonestory.com very soon.