Stand by for the avalanche! On 3 September almost 600 new books will be published. Some newspapers have dubbed this day Super Thursday. Not so super for the many new and lesser-known writers whose books are out at the same time.

The autumn is always a busy time in the world of books, as publishers crank up their publicity machines ready for the Christmas season. This year, to these festive releases have been added all those books whose launches were delayed while bookshops were dark and literary festivals cancelled or virtual. 

As a debut author, I count myself very lucky indeed to have dodged the book jam by being published in July. It’s hard enough getting your book noticed, without having to shout above the din of an over-crowded market. I mean, how can we newbies compete against big releases from the likes of Martin Amis, Robert Harris, Caitlin Moran, and Ant and Dec?