| The Basic Guide to Selling Crafts on the
Internet
by James Dillehay, Warm Snow
Publishers, NM, 2000. Softcover,
6" x 9", color 175 pages, $16.95.
Reviewed by Sharon Bateman.
This book has an astonishing amount of usable information, crammed into
so few pages! It covers so much information so quickly that it may seem overwhelming
at first.
James Dillehay has an amazing talent for getting right to the point, with a
minimum of “geekese.” This is often the hardest part of anything connected
to the computer or the Internet. So often, in many manuals, reading what looks
like English becomes a mind-bending ordeal. The opposite is true with this book.
You may have to read it more than once, but it is most definitely understandable,
and any computer-specific terms are clearly defined. It is the amount of information
included that throws you in the beginning.
The book seems to cover all the basics in a systematic way. It doesn’t
answer all computer questions, but instead explains where to start, what you need,
and where you are going. It is like having a good map — it won’t do
the work for you, but it puts all the work you’ll need to do into perspective.
I think this is the kind of book you would want to have close for easy reference,
even after you have completed setting up your Web site. Its get-to-the-point,
common-sense outlook is sure to encourage even the most timid PC user. It makes
the intimidating prospect of even thinking about setting up a Web site a lot easier
to approach.
The topics covered include basic tools and skills, where to look for a host,
designing your Web page, marketing strategies, and handling money. It describes
the mistakes most often made by new sites and how to avoid nuisance e-mails.
Of the entire list of computer instructional manuals I have read, this one
would top the list. I would not hesitate to recommend it . . . even to my mom.
It’s not the kind of book you can sit down and read, but it is clear and
easy to understand. I intend to keep my copy close to my computer, for quick reference
in the future.
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