Then again, if you’re using it as a marketing rather than networking or friendship tool, I think you do have to put some thought into engaging the people who come to your page. I tried to get a blog going which became something of a writers’ forum – got lots of great comments. It was difficult to sustain but worked. As Danuta mentioned in her article, I also put a virtual reading on there, as well as a trailer. I knew from my own experience that readings are a great way to get interest in the book, as well as sales. But obviously there’s a limit to the number I can do. Plus my book comes out in the States next year, and as far as I know, there’s no promotional tour planned. So the virtual reading was a way of getting a reading to as many people as possible.

I think the way myspace has worked for bands is that myspace has generated a kind of virtual word of mouth effect. Theoretically it could work the same way for an author – but there are no guarantees.

So rather than MySpace, what interests me is the possibility for product placement in games, and in online gaming communities. Film industry is there, and I have heard of authors participating in virtual communities but the book trade as a whole hasn’t woken up to it yet… but I think we’ll be hearing more about this in 2007/8.