Writing is fun, that's all there is to it, and I know you know that already, otherwise you wouldn't be here! But what about having fun and actually making a bit of a career out of it at the same time? That's where this little book, The Writer's Internet by Sarah-Beth Watkins, is a winner. I often approach these How-to books with a bit of scepticism, after all, there are such a lot of them around these days, but this time, I was pleasantly surprised. It's a little ripper. Written in a conversational tone (she practises what she preaches), the book covers just about everything you need to know to write for the Internet. I have to admit that it started a little predictably, covering the things a writer can use the Internet for -- making friends (Hmmm), researching, earning extra income etc. And this part was a bit light on actual, helpful detail. Although, I did enjoy Sarah's advice to learn how to write for both US and UK markets, and that this involves learning not just the spelling differences, but also the differences in grammar and punctuation, (which you should all be familiar with if you've been paying attention to my little rambles over the years). Sarah concluded, "... I can now write in either language." (Love it!) However, once we got into the actual writing side of things, we also got into the detail, and I discovered so many wonderful types of writing I never even dreamed existed! F'r instance, have you heard of flash fiction, twisters (no, not the scary weather ones), or hypertext fiction? No, me neither ... but they exist, and they sound like great fun for writers. (Check out Chapter 4 for all the details.) Then there's collaborative writing, which is something familiar to us, or at least, it would be to anyone who's been a member of our Merry Band for enough time to remember Dr Morgenes, his wife Maria, his mother-in-law, the enigmatic Father Wetherly, the actress and adventuress Virburnia Hedgerow, the Evil Giant Gerbil ... and Elvis. How could you forget? http://write101-never-ending-story.blogspot.com/ But I digress ... The 10 chapters cover all you really need to get started writing for the web, from where and how to find writing jobs (complete with URLs and warnings about what sites you shouldn't write for), to which topics sell, to finding people who'll critique your work for you, to using social media to your advantage, to publishing and promoting your work online. And always with specific URLs, in fact, the entire last chapter is a well-organised series of resources that will save you endless hours of typing searches and getting distracted by shiny things! Do yourself a favour and get a copy now... ~ Jennifer Stewart, Write 101

What a wonderful book, a little gem and one to keep close to hand. The book embraces all abilities from the complete beginner to the more advanced internet user. I consider myself fairly internet savvy but even so discovered pages of information that I hadn’t even considered before. Sarah-Beth explains how to earn money writing for internet sites, the pros and cons, how to write good content and differences in style. It’s good, comprehensive, concise info on everything from internet research to the benefits of social media. It’s worth buying for the last chapter alone which lists resources for writers, a one stop section that could save you hours. ~ Tracy Baines, Regional Organiser of The Society of Women Writers and Journalists