Blogs of their own

Amazon.com has launched a program that lets authors whose books are sold on the Web site write blogs that appear above reader reviews and excerpts on the pages that sell their books, The New York Times reported.

About a dozen authors are participating in the program, called Amazon Connect, with the goal of creating more of a connection between authors and their readers and, obviously, selling more books, the article said.

While writing may come naturally for most of the authors, at least one said she had some reservations about writing an online journal. "I come from a sort of butter churn and scrimshaw background," said Meg Wolitzer, author of "The Position" and other novels. "I feel ironic even using the world blog as a verb."