internet

http://www.iuniverse.com/

To be a best-selling author you need a lot of luck (and a friend who's an editor) but today, maybe, the odds just got a bit shorter!

We can remember iUniverse selling books and helping with self-publishing many years ago but now they seem to have grasped the self-publishing bull firmly by the horns.  Visit their site and you will find a pleasant, easy to navigate interface that takes you immediately in one of three directions.

• From the bottom up, you can complete the (rather fearsome) online form to get a free guide to publishing a book and, it appears, substantial personal help. 
• Next up you can get at 'MyUniverse' which is your way of interacting with the publisher and submitting your manuscript.
• Finally you can choose the first option to review the four ways in which iUniverse can help you achieve your goal of having a successful book published.

The remaining menu items in the colourful top menu bar take you to other sections of the site which are, we have to admit, as well laid out and tasteful as any site we have seen in recent times.

The content of all the sections is informative and enticing and we found ourselves drawn into reading - partly out of professional interest - but also because of the good site presentation.

From a design point of view, this is a first rate site yet it contains nothing out of the ordinary.  However it manages a light, airy feeling that makes surfing the various sections a pleasure.  From the content point of view, there is much that is worth looking at in the various sections and in particular, we felt, in the 'Community' section.

Whether you are interested in designing a website or in publishing your own book, this site gets a definite bookmark from us!

Tags: review, website