Blogging For Dummies, 3rd Edition [Paperback]

Susannah Gardner (Author), Shane Birley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2010 | ISBN-10: 047056556X | ISBN-13: 978-0470565568 | Edition: 3rd

The blogging bestseller, now fully updated to reflect the latest tools and techniques

Blogging is forever evolving, and remains essential for anyone who wants a distinctive Web presence. There are many options that surround blogging-on everything from blogging software to hosting services-and this fun and friendly guide gets you started so can begin logging in hours of blogging!

Building on the success of the two previous bestselling editions, this latest revision includes essential blogging basics, the elements required of a good blog, and the tools you'll need to get started. You'll discover how to determine the right blogging software for you, whether you should run your own blog or use a full-service hosting site, and how to set up an account and write your first post.

• Builds on the two previous bestselling editions and covers the latest advertising tools to attract an audience, methods for making money with your blog, and ways to measure your blog's success
• Includes updates to the major blogging software utilities including Google's Blogger, TypePad, and WordPress
• Walks you through the latest search engine optimization techniques for increasing your blog's visibility
• Reviews the newest plug-ins and gadgets that will allow you to extend your blog

If you're in a fog about how to blog, then this easy-to-understand guide is the right book for you.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

In a fog about blogs? Read this book and it all becomes clear!

Millions of people posted a blog entry this morning. They're promoting products, espousing causes, discussing their lives, and sharing tips on everything from getting the laundry clean to getting their candidate elected. Join the fun! Here's how to choose and use blogging software, pick a topic, add photos, attract readers, and keep your blog interesting.

• Blog basics — find out what defines a blog and what type of blog best suits your purpose

• What you say — learn how to create appealing content and what you don't want to put in your blog

• Compare tools — understand the pros and cons of hosted services and see what Blogger, WordPress, and other tools offer

• When smaller is better — explore microblogging, including Twitter® and Tumblr

• Speak up — try your hand at podcasting or video blogging

• Socialize your blog — boost readership with a presence on social networking sites

• Blogging for dollars — see how to put ads on your blog or in your RSS feed, seek sponsorships, and maintain a business blog

• Know your visitors — learn to collect and analyze statistics on who's visiting your site, when, and for how long

Open the book and find:

• Tips for choosing a topic

• How to connect with your readers through comments

• Advice on blogging ethics

• A comparison of leading blogging software

• Help managing routine blog tasks

• Hints for conquering writer's block

• Ways to boost readership

• Why RSS feeds are a great idea

• Cool widgets, gadgets, and themes to customize your blog

Learn to:

• Use the latest versions of Blogger and WordPress®

• Recognize what goes into an effective blog

• Find your niche in the blogosphere

• Build an audience and make money from your blog

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 cofounder of Left Right Minds (www.leftrightminds.com) and blogs at ShanesWorld.ca.

Product Details

• Paperback: 388 pages
• Publisher: Wiley Publishing; 3rd edition (February 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047056556X
• ISBN-13: 978-0470565568
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #588,959 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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My name is Susan and I'm a dummy... February 21, 2011

By Susan Tunis TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

No, really, a BIG dummy because I've been blogging for two years now! I got tired of looking at other people's awesome blogs and thinking, "Why can't I do that?" I finally admitted that I was a big, hopeless dummy and bought this book. God, I wish I'd done it sooner!

With two years of experience under my belt, I figured that I'd just skip around the book, picking out little nuggets of info here and there. On the contrary, I find myself reading the vast majority of the chapters in their entirety. The book is written in a pleasant and engaging style. I figure it can't hurt to do a little remedial work on the stuff I THINK I already know. Meanwhile, I'm just thrilled with what I've learned already. Don't laugh at the blonde girl, but links have always been a mystery to me. Now, I'm a pro! I've "claimed" my blog through Technorati. I'm committed to adding occasional guest blogger posts. I'm working on a simpler redesign of my blog, and I'm considering ways to add multimedia posts. I'm going to spruce up my sidebar and try to engage my community more. The great thing is that now I have a reference that will help me accomplish all of this and more.

My only complaint is that while this most recent edition (the third) is barely a year old, already some of the information is becoming outdated. I don't know if I'll spring for the fourth edition once it's published, but I'll definitely take a look at it to see what's new.

I have a list of friends waiting to borrow this reference book. It may not be the right tool for all bloggers, but it you're as clueless as I clearly am, Blogging for Dummies is highly recommended!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars What you need to know about blogging August 16, 2010

By valleygirl

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

There's a lot more to a blog than many people realize. Just sign on and start writing, right? Wrong. This book begins with the simple facts and answers the questions so you can get set up the right way and start blogging. A few corny "Dummies" book jokes as always, but a good way to learn the basics and well worth the money.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Blogging for Dummies April 11, 2011

By Spider Monkey

Format:Paperback

I have found over the years of reading numerous `Dummies' books that the quality of them can be very variable. Fortunately `Blogging for Dummies' is one of the better books in the series I have read.

This has a similar layout to other books in the series and if you know one book, you pretty much know the style of them all. This has informal prose, plenty of icons to guide you through the text, short accessible chapters and the `Part of Tens' at the back.

In this book you will learn how to get started, with full explanations of blogging and what it entails. You will be guided through various software and finding your niche or topic to blog about. It helps with ideas to build your community following and how to deal with comments on your blog and it also has ideas for marketing. It finishes up by exploring how you can make money from your blog or tie it into your existing business, before ending on some lists of tips to grow your community, ways to make your blog shine and some key blogs to explore. It also has a glossary and appendix briefly exploring html code used in blogs. This last section is very basic indeed and shouldn't be relied upon to make your blog fully functional from scratch, this is beyond the scope of this book and something you'd have to research elsewhere.

There are plenty of screen shots to demonstrate ideas explored in the book, as well as step-by-step instructions on how to carry out certain functions on your blog and related sites. This is easy to read and has plenty of ideas to help your blog develop and grow and I have been gradually utilising some of the ideas in this book on my own blog as I have worked my way through the book.

All in all this is an interesting and informative introduction to the world of blogging and should turn you from a novice into a competent blogger in no time. In the short time I have been blogging I have found it remarkably satisfying and with the knowledge on hand in this book you should soon be feeling the same way.

Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.