I was the guest of the Barrington Book Club online which was daunting because I had to post a video of myself explaining why I wrote Elvis, my writing routines, give advice to writers, and discuss which authors have influenced me. Once I got used to seeing a film clip of myself it became easier each day. Initially, I struggled.

Which do you prefer? Speaking off the cuff or preparing detailed notes?

My preference is to improvise to speak ad lib. The moment I’ve worked it all out I freeze and make mistakes.

If you are about to publish a debut novel or non-fiction book, practice doing making film clips of yourself now. Distributors like these, because it helps them sell your work to bookshops.