Rose, M.J., and Angela Adair-Hoy. How to Publish and Promote Online. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2001. 266 pp.

Cyberbook parties help sell e-books and are a vital promotion tool, according to M.J. Rose. And after the party, hit the virtual book tour! With the increased accessibility of electronic publishing (i.e., download, e-mail, or CD-ROM), an author now has a comprehensive resource for publicity and promotion. This book serves as a primer for writers who want to create e-books; furthermore, it provides specific and creative avenues for advertising and distributing the e-book.

Currently, marketing any book—print or electronic—falls to the author. And Rose and Adair-Hoy have left little, if anything, out. Written by various authors who share and encourage the electronic author, the chapters are concise and packed with interesting tips. Sample chapter titles include: “How to be Everywhere on the Internet," which discusses press releases, declaring your own holiday, creating alliances, and giving away samples; "Popular Online Promotional Tactics that Didn't Work,” which cautions about paying for search engine submissions, opt-in e-mail lists, and banner ad placement; and “The Book Party Comes to Cyberspace,” where Rose explains how to set up (i.e., Internet hosting) and pre-plan the party and persuasion techniques to use on the media while reminding authors not to forget the online presses (i.e., e-zines).

Success stories are tucked between the publishing and the promoting sections. The editors supplement the chapters with links and alternative resources to help the reader publish a legitimate e-book. Equally impressive was the information about purchasing ISBN numbers and dealing with Internet bookstores.

This book is highly recommended for anyone considering electronic publication—e-book or e-zine—and seeking to join the ranks of electronic authors who have embraced the Internet to take “charge of their own publishing destiny.”

Lesia Schnur