My book was published in Kindle format a fortnight ago, and this week the paperback version has joined it. I don’t want to appear a Luddite, but for an author there is something special about holding an actual book rather than waving your Kindle around in celebration that you’ve finally been published.

(Just to be clear – I’ve been published before, but not as a sole author, and not as a writer of fiction.)

The first thing I’ve learned is that the writing is the easy bit. The promotional stuff takes up so much time that you don’t get to do any more writing. I suppose if I had an agent they would take that load off me, but I mustn’t complain because I actually enjoy doing it.

Second, people are incredibly kind and generous in their comments. At least, nobody has said anything nasty to my face. My book has been selected by a couple of book clubs and I’ve been invited to give a radio interview and a talk to a readers’ club. I began to feel I’m not quite so much of a fraud when I call myself a writer.