I’ve been thinking recently about the whole business of publicity and promotion, the benefits and downfalls. There are so many ways that a book can enter the public consciousness, but the best method is undoubtedly word of mouth. Genuine recommendation, however casual, has far more power than overblown advertising hype, and many of us will read a book because a trusted friend has told us to.

Collectors and investors take a slightly different approach. They are proactive in looking for books that would appear to be long-term investments, rather than this month’s bit of flummery. They can’t wait around for the recommendations of others, but instead have to make their own judgement call as to the potential of any particular work. The Various was picked up early on by independents who believed that it had a future, and they have since done enormous good in helping to promote this book and its sequel, Celandine. It’s very much through the continued faith of people such as David Hitchcock at Hoxton FAB that the Touchstone Trilogy has remained in the consciousness of investors and independent sellers, and so to a wider public. I’m very grateful for this support, and for the genuine interest shown in me and my work. This kind of promotion and publicity is invaluable, if only because it hasn’t been bought and paid for by the publishers.

Publishers have their own methods when it comes to book promotion, and one of the tools at their disposal is the author himself. It's almost a requirement of writers nowadays that they go out and actively sell themselves and their work. Publishers make it clear that it helps them enormously if you are prepared to visit schools and libraries, show up for book signings, and generally do what you can to 'raise your profile', because this can only result in increased book sales. And anything that increases book sales has to be a good thing, right?

Well, up to a point. But there's a line to be drawn between promoting your work and promoting yourself. Giving your book a gentle nudge is one thing, but trying to become some sort of public personality or 'celebrity' in the process is quite another. Many writers are acutely shy, and the idea of facing an audience or appearing on camera fills them with horror. They would argue that the work they produce should speak for itself, and that having to act like a performing monkey is not part of the job description!

I personally have no problem with talking to readers, or parents, or writers-to-be for that matter. I trained as a teacher many years ago, and you can't do that if you're frightened of standing up in front of a crowd. In fact I rather enjoy it. But I do have some sympathy for those who don't. It's very often the publicly inept who turn to writing as a means of expression in the first place. To then find that they're expected to answer questions in public, or give lectures, or appear on chat shows must be awful.

But there's another reason why it's perhaps a good idea to remain relatively anonymous. I'll try to explain. One of the mistakes that new writers often make is in showing their work to their nearest and dearest - husbands, wives, children, friends. I always say 'don't bother', because those who are close to you can't possibly view your work objectively. They know you too well, and so they can only hear your voice as they read. For them it's almost impossible to separate the writer from the text. They pick up on little phrases that you use in real life, picture you speaking the lines that you've written. You're in the room with them, and that's not good. A writer needs to be invisible if his characters are to have a life of their own.

It follows then that an author who becomes too publicly recognisable, whose voice and face become too familiar, is going to intrude upon the reader's imagination. I can think of a couple of adult fiction writers that this applies to, and whose work I can't read any more because I've seen the authors so often on TV that I hear their voices coming up off the page. My conclusion is that by giving too much of yourself away you ultimately spoil things for your readers.

Since publication of The Various and Celandine I've received so many warm and wonderful letters of appreciation that it really has surprised me. I think people recognised very quickly that this trilogy is grounded in a real environment, and that there's a lot of myself in these books. Consequently I've written and spoken fairly extensively about my own childhood, and explained where the inspiration for the story came from. I've answered (or avoided answering!) many questions regarding the possible existence of Howard's Hill, and generally tried to satisfy readers' curiosity. But now I'm wondering whether it might be time to shut up - for a while, at least.

Winter Wood was published in January. It's very much a winter book, and once again I've drawn on my own memories of Somerset at that time of year, grounding what is after all fantasy in a reality that is known to me. The stories of Midge and her ancestor Celandine converge, and we discover how their link to the Various helps resolve the fate of those strange tribes. I think it's a better book than the first two. But then I would say that, wouldn't I? So I think that's maybe all I will say. For now.