Any single poem in a magazine could then become a direct doorway for hundreds or thousands of people to that author's entire oeuvre. The linking together of an author's works provides just one example of how literature becomes more easily accessible through the power of hypertext. Once you've found something you like online, similar worthwhile discoveries should immediately follow, since it's almost de rigueur for Web sites to link to other sites of related interest. For many people this has become the primary means of finding things on the Web, so links from literary sites to an author's work can substantially increase the readership for that author. Gaining an audience in cyberspace can depend more on being well linked than on being well reviewed.
Many sites consist primarily of links to other sites and serve as directories to literature online.
Authors or editors can add their sites to these catalogues and keep their entries updated. Anything missing from directories such as these will usually be turned up by one of the many online search engines, such as Yahoo or Alta Vista . The International Poetry Webring joins together over 2,800 sites, though the quality of material varies greatly. Online reviews of online writing usually contain links to the poetry or fiction under consideration. A critical discussion touching on several authors can double as a virtual anthology of poetry or fiction, effectively casting the critic in the role of editor as well.