Site Launched as Online Complement to Internet PR Book

Posted on February 27, 1998

The authors of the newly released Internet public relations book Connecting Online: Creating a Successful Business on the Internet have announced the launch of a companion website at connectingonline.com. The site serves as an extension of the book, and also as an online resource for business owners and communicators to access up-to-date Internet public relations resources and information.

Before a business can expect to be successful at commerce on the Internet, it must build a positive image with its online audience through Internet public relations strategies and tactics. That's the conclusion authors Gregory Sherwin and Emily N. Avila have made in their new book. To help businesses achieve these ends, the companion Web site provides a news feed updated four times per day, a searchable collection of over 900 reviewed bookmarks, helpful how-tos, book excerpts, articles by the authors, and pointers to other recommended online reading.

"In an era where the CD-ROMs included in many books are increasingly out-of-date before the book is first published, the Internet distribution of updates and complementary resources was a natural choice given our book's content," says co-author Gregory Sherwin, a senior software engineer at CNET: The Computer Network and co-founder of the American Red Cross' national Web site.

As a unique approach, the book's Web site is completely designed and maintained by the authors. In addition to providing readers with continual communication and special content offerings, the authors also practice what they preach by using the Web site to demonstrate communication and design principles outlined within the book.

"We feel there is no better way to teach than by example, which means taking full responsibility for our Web site and applying the principles of Internet communication that we've outlined in our book," says co-author Emily Avila, a senior communications specialist for UCSF/Stanford University and former content manager for over 40 Web sites.