What can you tell from the title of a book, its cover, the blurb that goes with it? Too often these prove insufficient clues as to what might be hidden inside – good or bad. Sometimes when we’re buying a new book we’ll take a punt; but more often than not, we probably settle for someone we know or a volume carrying our favourite badge – like a Book Club endorsement, or ‘Booker’, or ‘Pulitzer’, or even ‘Prize’ in general. Of all of these, it is probably the name that sells most of all – just ask Richard Osman..!
For the majority of us, although we put our faith in cover and blurb, the one thing we rely on more than anything else is luck – the off-chance that our book might be selected when someone other than ourselves chooses to ‘take a punt’.
Surely we can do more?
Being a generous sort of fellow, I have added a new section to this website called “Openings“. It contains the opening few pages from a number of my novels, ‘tasters’ to allow people to sample my work. Hopefully these may prove sufficient to entice you to move on to the main course!
I hope you like them!
Ian Gouge - Writer 