A young man with a metal-studded leather facemask, a long coat and a rather startling gun with copper spirally bits is trying hard not to catch my eye.

No, I haven’t taken to visiting fetish clubs in my old age. I am, rather, sitting at a table in the community centre in Haworth, which was the setting for the very first Haworth Steampunk Weekend. And I am not just trying to catch the eye of this particular young man. I am trying to subtly get the attention of anyone who walks past.

What am I doing there? As I may have mentioned 16 or 17 times in this column recently, I have penned a small literary confection which was published a couple of months ago and which, my publishers and I hope, might be suitable for the attendees of this gathering in the heart of Bronte country – to wit, a steampunk novel.

But, I hear you ask, what is this “steampunk” of which you speak? Well, I’m glad you asked. Steampunk is the name given, originally, to a sub-genre of science fiction which, in broad terms, is usually set in the Victorian era but which features advanced (for the time) technology – generally airships, steam-powered vehicles, that sort of thing – and with a smattering of the supernatural or fantastic. Imagine if Jules Verne wrote Indiana Jones and you’re getting there.

But these days, steampunk isn’t just a literary movement – it’s become a lifestyle for many people, a lot of whom don’t even read the books (which is something I’m there to put right).

Steampunks wear a Victorian-style costume then (as I believe the young people say) “pimp it” with cogs and jewellery, monocles and complicated arrangements of lenses stuck to bowler hats. It’s all quite delightful and very visual.

So I do a reading from my book, tell a few people what it’s all about, then sit at a table and try to shift a few copies on behalf of the publisher. After one hour on the Saturday, I am frantically texting my wife to say no-one has shown the slightest bit of interest.

Then I sell a few copies and I become adept at spotting likely customers. The trick is not to pounce, but to give them a bit of line – play them like a salmon.

First someone will wander past, my posters showing the cover and some review quotes catching their eye, causing them to slow. I stand back and nonchalantly sip my coffee. They’ll scrutinise the cover then perhaps pick up one of the books I’ve got on the table. If they read for a few seconds I casually ask them if they read much steampunk.

If they answer yes, I’ll engage them in conversation, helpfully pointing out that if they like Author X, then they’re bound to like my book. If they say they’ve never read any, I’ll suggest that they should start, and with my book.

It was a great success, and the steampunk people who attended Haworth were lovely, and bought lots of books. Can’t wait for next year.