The Mark Twain Forum needs a reviewer for the following book:

     Joe Vitale.  _Cyber Writing: How to Promote Your Product or Service
     Online (Without Being Flamed)_.  New York: Amacom, 1997.
     Pp. xiii + 175.  Appendices, bibliography, index.  Paper, 6" x 9".
     $18.95.  ISBN 0-8144-7918-9.

The publisher's blurb reads in part:

                   How would Mark Twain write online?

     Hey, e-marketers!  Bet you never thought Huck Finn's creator had
     much to teach us in today's wired world.  But anyone who's ever
     sludge-surfed through layers of dull text and lumbering graphics
     can appreciate this classic Mark Twainism (just slightly
     paraphrased): "A successful Web site is not made of what is in it,
     but what is left out of it."

     "Twain used six secrets to captivate audiences: prepare, stick to
     key points, use creative expression, weave in stories, start with a
     bang, and keep up a high level of interaction," says Joe Vitale, a
     writer who specializes in online communications.  "Apply his
     techniques to any Internet promotion and you'll see dramatic and
     immediate results."

     _Cyber Writing_ aims to be the complete guide to creating highly
     targeted copy that's geared to online culture, customs, and
     technology.  It shows how to use good writing ("text still rules")
     and positioning to differentiate yourself and your product.

     Joe Vitale (Houston, TX) runs an advertising, marketing, and
     promotion agency.  He is a graduate of Kent State University and
     the author of seven books, including _Turbocharge Your Writing_,
     _The Seven Lost Secrets of Success_, and _Hypnotic Writing_.  In
     his online communications he uses the moniker "Mister Fire!" for
     "the same reason Sam Clemens became Mark Twain--to add color to his
     personality."  Mr. Vitale's e-mail address is [log in to unmask]

This book principally concerns marketing, but there may be some Twainian
interest in chapter 4, "How Would Mark Twain Handle E-Writing?" (pp. 65-
73).  The index cites three other references to Twain.

As usual, the review must be of publishable quality, and it would be due
within two months of your receipt of the book (i.e., mid-December 1996).
The deadline is particularly important, as we are making every effort
for Forum reviews to appear before print reviews.  If you are inclined
to procrastinate, please don't offer to review the book.

If you're interested in writing this review, please send me both your
home and institutional mailing addresses and phone numbers.  If I don't
already know you, it would be helpful for you to explain in what respect
you're qualified to write this review.  (If we haven't exchanged e-mail
recently, it might be a good idea for you to remind me of this info.)

If you'd like to see some sample MT Forum book reviews, they are
available at TwainWeb (the Forum's web page), at the following URL:

     http://web.mit.edu/linguistics/www/forum/twainweb.html

I look forward to hearing from you.

Taylor Roberts
Coordinator, Mark Twain Forum