From the desk of Foster Burton
Upper Orara, NSW, Australia

Dear Reader,

You’ve clicked on dozens, if not hundreds, of book ads before. So why should this be any different? You saw my flashy ad promoting my novel. Curiosity got the better of you, and you clicked.

But this page probably wasn’t what you were expecting — nor what you're used to — and I’m sorry for that.

There’s a reason for it though, and I’d love it if you hear me out.

I’m a young author, just starting out, trying to forge a long-term career as a writer to support my ever-supportive wife and two (soon to be three) young children. I gave up a promising business to pursue it and have spent the last two years working tirelessly on my debut novel: the 19th-century historical thriller you saw in the ad, The Hollows — a gritty, wild, thrilling tale that I’m sure you’d love.

But here’s the thing.

Everyone says that — every author ad you’ve ever clicked on, and a million more that you didn’t. We all think our work is the bee’s knees, sure to keep you hooked until the early hours of the morning, and if you’re like most people, you’ve responded to those claims. Bought books that maybe have done just that… or left you disappointed. A cynic.

I get it.

That’s why you’re reading this instead of scrolling through a polished landing page filled with every trick under the sun to convert you. Sure, I could tell you that bestselling author Peter Watt said The Hollows was "the work of a real author," and that "it is rare to find such a talent" as myself. Or that someone else you’ve never heard of (nor ever will) said it was "absolutely unputdownable."

But they’re just words, aren’t they?

In fact, they’ll probably make you even more sceptical...

Because the truth is, to you, I’m No One, from Nowhere, trying to convince you to part with your hard-earned money in exchange for a story that I claim to be excellent. And that’s a tough sell — especially when you’ve been pitched the same thing a million times by a million forgettable authors (not to mention the AI-generated garbage currently flooding the book market).

That’s what led me here, writing this to you, instead of the usual sales pitch.

Yes, it’s unorthodox. But so is my novel.

It’s historical fiction, but not like you’ve read before. Gritty. Raw. Painfully human. With a lead character you’ll both root for and want to throttle —depending on the chapter.

Another chap you’ve never heard of (nor care about) said it was "the first book in a long time he’d finished in under 24 hours." But again… just more words, right?

Which brings me neatly to my pitch.

Obviously, I want you to buy my novel. That’s the goal here — I won’t pretend otherwise.

To be as transparent as I possibly can: I, Foster Burton—an author you’ve never heard of—would like you to give me some of your hard-earned money in exchange for a copy of my debut novel, The Hollows—the result of two long years, 4 AM mornings, 2,000+ hours, 14 drafts, six rounds of editing… blah blah blah.

That’s all well and good, Foster-from-Nowhere, you’re probably thinking, But I’m the poor Sally who has to take all the risk on your Unknown Story.

And your inner dialogue (real or not) is 100% correct.

But I’ve thought of that too.

If you’re anything like me, coffee is second only to air for survival. It’s the lifeblood of a successful day — one of the rare beverages that can be either perfectly wonderful or like drinking boiled tar, depending on the barista.

The thing is, if we venture outside of the realms of our regular go-to coffee shop, we’re constantly presented with a similar risk: spending our hard-earned money at a new, unknown café, gambling that the slick-haired, tattooed barista, who thinks his wink is charming, can make your coffee just how you like it.

Now, the average price of a medium cappuccino in a capital city today is $5.50 (on normal milk, no fancy stuff... ouch!). I think it’s fair to say that as a nation of coffee addicts, we’re willing to risk that much in the hope we’ll get what we want in return.

Stay with me. I’m getting to the point.

The eBook version of The Hollows normally retails for $9.99. Many people have happily paid that. But ten bucks is a bloody expensive coffee — at that price, you'd want it made with milk freshly squeezed from the cow’s teat out the back of the café, then funnelled directly into your mouth by Chris Hemsworth.

You see where I’m going here, right?

To help de-risk this for you, I’ll slash the eBook to $5.50—the same as a medium cappuccino. And if you’re not hooked by Chapter 5, I’ll refund you. No questions. No fuss. Including postage if you bought a paperback or First Edition. You don’t even need to send the book back.

Heck, I’ll even throw in a free copy of my highly acclaimed short story, The Lighthouse Keeper, to sweeten the deal.

That’s the pitch.

Enticing? Hopefully. Intriguing? Surely…

With all that said, now I can get to the fun stuff—the blurb, the reviews, and how you can grab a copy.

If you’re still reading, thank you. I know this isn’t the usual way to go about it. But I’m an unusual sort of fellow… as is Jack, the lead character of The Hollows.

Happy reading,


Foster