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Native American Author Roundtable
9.
AOTW: How has the Internet impacted your writing career? Did you or your publisher use the web to promote your book? Do you have a website? How are you using your website?
David Marion Wilkinson: There's no question that the Internet is a valuable tool to a writer. I'm able to reach out to experts and archives in ways I could never have imagined just five years ago. Obviously, if I'm responding to the Native American Roundtable survey on AuthorsOnTheWeb.com, I've learned to promote my work on the Internet. But we are new to the cyber world and we have only scratched the surface of what's available. I do have a website: www.dmarionwilkinson.com. I'm always fascinated by the responses I get. I hear from people in the UK, France, Israel, and Africa. That wouldn't happen to a writer in the early 1990s.
David Matheson: The Internet has changed everything in publishing. Our book is offered on the Internet at Amazon.com. I have a website: Davidmatheson.com. We get a lot of hits on our website from people across the nation, and probably worldwide in the near future. The Internet is obviously the wave of the future. As much as things have changed, you can probably expect that change to multiply seven times over again. It will become more and more important. We will probably see people doing more electronic shopping as the years go by. We expect to continue updating my website, making our message and our books available to the public online.
Penina Keen Spinka: My publisher created a website for me. It is peninakeenspinka.com. I'm always glad to correspond or answer questions on the 'Net. My email is penina45@earthlink.net or peninas@yahoo.com. I found the Internet was very helpful when it came to researching the precursors of the Spanish galleys which were used by the English invaders in Dream Weaver. This sequel to Picture Maker is about to be released in January 2003. Finding that English and Norse were not very different was helpful so that the antagonists could communicate. The Norsemen became the Normans whose 1066 invasion changed England forever. Before that, there was a great influx of Danes in England. I was happily surprised at how many connections I found in my research to help me with my novels' development.
Joseph Marshall III: At this juncture it's difficult to measure the impact of the Internet on my writing career, but opportunities such as this Authors Roundtable do have the promise of a broadening my audience, for example. My publishers do use the Internet to promote my books. I do have a website (www.thunderdreamers.com) and it's essentially a public relations tool.
Margaret Coel: The Internet has made researching much easier. Both Berkley Books, my publisher, and I use the web to promote my books. My publicist, Nancy Berland, has used the web extensively to get out the word on my books. And my website is set up to give readers more information about the books, the Arapahos, and the Wind River Reservation. For example, readers who want a map of the reservation can find it on my website. The site also provides an update on my book signings and other appearances. Check it out at www.margaretcoel.com.
David and Aimee Thurlo: The Internet has allowed us to open many more lines of communication between ourselves and our readers. We correspond with hundreds of people from all over the world who value our stories. We have an excellent website at www.AimeeandDavidThurlo.com where we provide excerpts of all our books along with upcoming projects, news, and photographs of the Southwest.
W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear: We wish we had everyday access to the Internet. Unfortunately, we don't. We live at the corner of the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. We don't have a telephone. We do get to town about twice a month and check the e-mail we've received on our website, www.gear-gear.com. For those who've written us, please be patient. Our dirt road is long and frequently impassable. When we do get to town, there are a thousand things to do. Get the mail, grocery shop, buy tractor parts, read the faxes, etc. But we will answer your letters as soon as we can!
Both Tor/Forge who publishes our PEOPLE series and Warner Books who did Dark Inheritance and Raising Abel had our books on their websites.
Our website, www.gear-gear.com, describes each of our books as well as our buffalo ranch in Wyoming.
Thomas Perry: So far, I don't really know how heavily the Internet has affected my career. I know that I've benefited from online sales and reviews, but I've never taken direct action to use the Internet until recently. As of about a month ago, I have a web site. It's www.Thomasperryauthor.com. I hope to use it as a way to make announcements to readers about book tours and publications, and as a way for readers to ask questions.
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