Last week I told Matthew, the person who looks after online publicity at Faber, that I wanted to start a blog about this book I have just finished called The Secret Life of France. Having very little experience of the online community I asked for his advice.

This was his answer:

‘Do not, whatever you do, give the impression that this blog is a marketing tool to sell your book. British bloggers are ruthless when it comes to self-promoters.’

And then he went on to tell me about flaming.

Who is he kidding, I ask myself?

Of course the raison d’etre for any blog built around a book you’ve written is going to be about self-promotion. I’m doing this because I want to attract readers. I’m fed up with writing books that no one bloody reads.

So shoot me.