A boost.

You always hear stories about new authors obsessively checking their Amazon ranking, and I can tell you this: it’s all true. I have to say that since my book has been out for a while I don’t check it nearly so often, although I started again in earnest when the UK Picador paperback was released recently, but only for a couple of weeks. That's when I realised it wasn’t ever going to get to 4 digits.

I had long since given up looking for readers’ reviews after the hardback drew only two (admittedly very nice) responses, including from one RN Morris, author of A Gentle Axe. But today I thought I’d check how my wee book was doing (still clinging to the 5 digits, but only just) and found a glowing review by someone who loved the book so completely that it has really given me a boost. It’s all very nice to get good reviews in the media, but there is something just so heartening about getting one from a reader who has obviously gained so much pleasure from what you’ve written. It sounds like a cliché, but it really does gives you the strength to carry on and write that person another book they can hopefully enjoy as much. So thanks, Mr P Wood from Bristol, whoever you are, I’m having another crack at it.