November 2005 Issue

The Internet Writing Journal
ISSN No. 1095-3973
Volume 9, Issue 8.

In This Issue:

The Author's Dilemma: To Blog or Not to Blog?
Today's authors face a greater marketing challenge than ever before, as publishers cut promotion budgets for titles that aren't expected to be blockbusters. Authors are increasingly more responsible for their own marketing, but the good news is that the Internet is helping to level the playing field. In her new article, Claire E. White discusses the issues an author should consider before taking up blogging. She also gives tips on how to get started and explores the pros and cons of blogging.

The Best Author Blogs
Our editors have selected the author blogs that they think are the very best on the Web right now. Whether they are individual blogs or group blogs, these are the blogs that are consistently excellent and make for entertaining reading. Our editors have also provided links to directories and search engines to help you find out more on the subject of author blogging.

Stories Behind the Hit Songs of Autumn by Mary Dawson
Mary Dawson explores some of the fascinating stories behind the hit songs of Autumn including Vernon Duke's "Autumn in New York" and Johnny Mercer's "Autumn Leaves."

The Origins of Matches by Alan Kaufman
Alan Kaufman is the author of Matches, a novel that explores the experiences of Israeli soldiers. In "Origins of Matches" Kaufman, who himself served as a soldier in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), discusses his inspiration for his book and his determination to write a non-political book that shows the personal consequences of warfare on the soldiers who serve. He also shares his own hopes for peace in the Middle East and his fears for his daughter living in Israel during a period of seemingly endless suicide bombings.

Alcohol: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly by Tim Relf
Tim Relf, the author of Stag: A Story About Coming of Age -- In a Bar (Warner Books), a novel which explores the blurry line between "social" and "problem" drinking, discusses the prevalence of alcohol in today's society and how he approached the research for his book.

Put MS Word to Work for You by Michael L. Cope
Technical and fiction writer Michael L. Cope teaches you how to take advantages of MS Word tools like text coloring, highlighting and hidden text to make your writing projects much easier.


Book Reviews


Children's/Young Adult

The Moon Key by J.R. Stampfl (Smooch)
Vox (The Edge Chronicles) by Paul Stewart, Illustrations by Chris Riddell (David Fickling Books)


Fantasy/SF

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder (Luna Books)
Urban Shaman by C. E. Murphy (Luna Books)


Lifestyle

Author 101 Bestselling Book Proposals by Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman (Adams Media)


Mystery/Thriller

Dark Truth by Mariah Stewart (Ballantine)


Romance and Women's Fiction

A Darker Crimson by Carolyn Jewel (LoveSpell)
Desperate Tigress by Jade Lee (Leisure)
How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks (Avon)


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