AuthorSites: An update

It's safe to say there has been a fair amount of interest in AuthorSites (see previous Diary entry), and an update on the status of the project would be in order.

The project is close to completion and there will be a couple of weeks of beta-testing to iron out kinks, if any. So far, it's looking really good, and we hope to add at least two extra features that were not in the original plan – the option to have a blog as part of the site, and the ability to embed YouTube videos. If added, it will be included at the same price as initially planned.

The sites will include these sections as part of the initial setup: Home Page, About, Books (Descriptions + Ordering Info), Excerpts, News/Events, Awards and a Contact form. Content and menu items can be added, deleted or modified, making the sites extremely scalable. So whether you need one page or a hundred (or more), the site works perfectly for you.

Price, of course, was one of the common questions in a lot of the mail we received (and responded to). Rather than reply individually, it's probably best to post the price structure here: Estimated early-bird pricing is expected to be C$250 one-time setup + C$24.95 a month, with a "no price increase ever" guarantee. For those who sign after March, prices are pencilled in at C$295 setup plus C$29.95 a month.

These prices will include domain name registration, hosting on some seriously solid and fast servers, up to 5 email addresses and more.

Coming soon: atom AuthorSites

If you're an author (or even a would-be author), an illustrator or someone who dabbles in the arts, A Type of Magic's newest project should be of interest to you. We will soon be launching atom AuthorSites, a low-cost web solution that will nevertheless be big on features.

The project is still in the works, and a definite launch date has yet to be set, but we hope to have it up and running in six weeks or less. AuthorSites will allow you to have your own website using your very own choice of domain name (assuming it's available of course), and will also allow you to manage it easily yourself, without the need to learn any web coding.

Peter Jailall romances Mother Earth

Peter Jailall can not only write beautifully, he narrates just as well. The author wowed guests with a wonderful recitation of some of his poems at  a function to launch his latest book, Mother Earth at his Mississauga home today.

The book is subtitled Poems For Her Children, but as several speakers noted, this is wonderful reading for people of all ages.

Mother Earth was designed by A Type of Magic, the latest collaborative effort with publishers In Our Words. The collaboration has resulted in several previous books, including Dance of the Peacock by Cheryl Xavier, Margaret In Search of Herself by Janice Goveas, Queen Teuta of Illyria by Perparim Kapllani and Questionably Ever After by Zohra Zoberi.

Even as book launches go, Peter Jailall's was like a breath of fresh air. Many of the speakers at the event (including Ontario Fairness Commissioner Jean Augustine, the chief guest, and author Ian MacDonald) have known Peter from way back when, and it showed as the anecdotes flowed as smoothly as the wine. Ms Augustine was in especially good form, and anyone who routinely puts "stuffy" before "politician" obviously hasn't met the former MP.

Mother Earth is available through In Our Words (inourwords.ca), and is priced at $12.95.