Blogging For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) [Paperback]

Susannah Gardner (Author), Shane Birley (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470230177 | ISBN-13: 978-0470230176 | Publication Date: January 10, 2008 | Edition: 2

Everybody’s doing it! And while that logic never got far with your mother, it’s a fine reason to start blogging, especially if you have a business to build or a cause to promote. Well-run blogs do more than offer an outlet for your thoughts. They’ve actually influenced everything from a company’s image to the outcome of a local election.

Because the blogosphere is pretty crowded, it’s a good idea to find out a bit about the anatomy of a blog, what makes a good one, and what it takes to keep one going before you dive right in and start sharing with the world. Blogging For Dummies, 2nd Edition gives you all the basics so you can get a good start. And if you’ve been around the blog a few times and want to advance to the next level, Blogging For Dummies, 2nd Edition even takes a look at podcasting and videoblogging.

You’ll find out how to:

• Make your blog stand out in a crowd, build an audience, and even make it pay
• Choose the best software options, boost readership, and handle comments
• Generate revenue from your blog with ads and sponsorships
• Protect your privacy and your job
• Deal with spam and the inappropriate comments from that guy who posts several times a day
• Find your niche
• Attract and keep readers
• Use your blog to promote your business, cause, or organization
• Add audio, video, cool widgets, and more

Ready? Get Blogging for Dummies and let’s get started!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Express yourself, build your business, or promote a cause

Make your blog stand out in a crowd, build an audience, and even make it pay

Whether you're just finding out about blogs or you've been blogging for a while and are curious about podcasting or videoblogging, you can find answers in this book! Get the scoop on software options and how to boost readership, handle comments, make money with ads and sponsorships, add audio or video, and much more.

Discover how to:

• Create and maintain a blog that draws readers

• Protect your privacy and your job

• Deal with spam and inappropriate comments

• Find your niche

• Use your blog to promote your business

About the Author

Susannah Gardner is creative director of Hop Studios (www.hopstudios.com), a Web design company specializing in blogs and community content Web sites.

Shane Birley is co-founder of Left Right Minds (www.leftrightminds.com) and blogs at ShanesWorld.ca.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (January 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470230177
• ISBN-13: 978-0470230176
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #666,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Susannah Gardner is the co-founder and creative director of Hop Studios Internet Consultants, a Web design company specializing in custom Web solutions for content publishers.

Susannah is also a freelance writer and author; her latest book is "Blogging For Dummies, 4th Edition." She is the author of 'Buzz Marketing With Blogs for Dummies,' "BitTorrent for Dummies," and co-author of 'Dreamweaver MX 2004 for Dummies,' from Wiley Publishing, and 'Teach Yourself Visually: Dreamweaver MX 2004,' also from Wiley Publishing.

From 1997 to 2003, Susannah was an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California School for Communication, where she taught in the School of Journalism. Her classes in online publishing took students from zero to Web site in one semester.

Prior to running Hop Studios, Susannah worked in the Online Journalism and Communication Program at the University of Southern California, writing curriculum, teaching, and conducting research at the intersection of technology and journalism. She was a senior editor of the Online Journalism Review, still the media industry's only Internet-focused journalism publication. Susannah also spent four years at The Los Angeles Times, one of six editors responsible for launching that newspaper's Web site. During her time at LATimes.com, she established the site's multimedia lab, which produced ground-breaking Web audio, video and animation. She also launched and edited MetaHollywood, an online-only publication that covered new Hollywood technology and was LATimes.com's single largest revenue source in 1998.

Susannah earned bachelor's degrees in Print Journalism and American literature at USC.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent place to start for many genres of bloggers, August 22, 2008

By 

Jill Florio "Reuse, reduce, recycle!" (Verde Valley, Arizona) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blogging For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

Like many Dummies books, this book is comprehensive! It's a thorough introduction to blogging from rank Internet newbie, to the typical active
blogger seeking to learn more about the medium.

As a 2008 book, it's reasonably current. This is one of those Dummies books the publishers will need to update annually. I recommend readers always seek the latest possible edition of any blogging book, as popular technologies change so rapidly in the field. RSS, comment spam, social networks and podcasting are all given their due space. An entire chapter is devoted to adding and managing photos for your blog.

Two large chapters offer the fundamentals of blogging for business and adding advertising. This won't be specific enough to get any would-be pro blogger rich, but *does* provide enough basics to get started with affiliates, AdSense, TextLink Ads, AdBright and the like.

Lots of screen captures and sidebars explain complex concepts quite clearly. I enjoyed one sidebar in particular about why comment spam exists (and hint; it's more about page rank juice than possible click-throughs).

I'd recommend this book for the newbie through advanced blogging beginner. Intermediate level bloggers looking to to brush up on the basics would likely enjoy adding this as a reference to the bookshelf, and might find a few gems they originally missed.

Advanced bloggers won't find much useful here...but as it's a Dummies book, that's to be expected!

From all the blogging books targeting the beginner, this one offers the most bang for your buck, and really does a nice job of holding your hand along the way.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blogging For Dummies: The Best Learning Tool, August 1, 2008

By 

PARCS "PARCS" (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blogging For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

Don't let the "dummy" title fool you. With so many blog "how-to" papers written, I wanted a good "how-to" book that would walk me through and hold my hand as I venture into the blogosphere. Susannah Gardner and Shane Birley provide just that ... a perfect reference book that takes you one step at a time until you are ready to publish. Thanks Susannah and Shane.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!, April 20, 2008

By 

Lisa Sabin-Wilson "WordPress For Dummies" (Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blogging For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

Blogging For Dummies is a fabulous resource for bloggers, new and old. This book is full of great information, tips, ideas, suggestions and resources that any blogger can benefit from reading. Written by two Pros in the field of blogging, you can't go wrong if you're looking for a one-stop, desktop reference on the world of blogging. Highly recommended!