Book Review: Blogging Tips - What Bloggers Won’t Tell You About Blogging
May 24, 2007
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I had the wonderful opportunity to spend some time getting to know Lorelle VanFossen a bit while we were both at SOBCon a few weeks ago in Chicago. She is one of those high energy folks that I imagine would be exhausting to try to keep up with long term.
She was incredibly helpful to us at SOBCon. If you were there you know how much she helped Gorgeous there at the front registration table, for example. The two of them were the dynamic duo out there.
Lorelle’s Credentials
Lorelle is one of those folks who has probably forgotten more about blogging than many others have learned yet. She’s been writing and running her own web sites for over 10 years, since long before there was such a thing as blogging software to make it easy for us.
Whenever I’ve needed some info about WordPress, Lorelle’s blog has long been one of my go-to sources for tips, pointers, and a heads up on what is coming down the pike in new WordPress updates. She is listed on the WordPress.org About Page as one of their documentation and support folks
I asked Lorelle why Lorelle on WordPress is on WordPress.com and not a self hosted site and how she got started working with them on their documentation. I wish I had written down exactly what she said, but here is the gist of her response as I remember it.
I’ve got a gift for breaking things. So over the years I’ve become one of the crash test dummies for WordPress. They let me play with it. I break it. Then Matt and the guys go and fix the bugs I find.
That’s a gift every software developer could use!
Suffice it to say Lorelle is an expert on blogging in general and WordPress in particular.
So imagine how thrilled I was when Liz told me a few months back that she was writing a new book on Blogging Tips and we were going to be able to give a complimentary copy to each of the SOBCon ‘07 attendees! Little did I know that SOBCon would be the debut of the book. I was actually fortunate enough to get my hands on a copy even before the official release date!
The Book
Let me just start by saying that Blogging Tips: What Bloggers Won’t Tell You About Blogging is a must read for every business blogger. At $12.95 (plus $3 shipping in the US) this book is a steal. 
There is more high quality information crammed into the 98 pages than any book I’ve yet seen on the subject. And very little of the information is WordPress specific.
You can read the book straight through or use it as a reference guide. Lorelle laid it out with short sections with lots of headers and tons of short bullets points to make the info easy to find. And all of the information is incredibly useful.
Do you want to know how to get your blog to display the < and > characters so that you can show how to code some html?
Did you ever wonder what you can do if some of your content gets stolen?
Are you struggling to figure out how to best leverage blog networking opportunities?
Would you like to know how to encourage visitors to stay on your blog?
Do you have a plan for what to do when bad things happen to your blog?
You can find out all that and tons more in this book.
Here are some other things that Lorelle covers
- Planning Your Blog
- Blog Structure and Design
- Building Blog Content
- Blog Writing
- Blog Interaction and Community Building
- Blog SEO and Page Rank
- Blog Administration and Management
- Blogger Rights
Bottom line, Go get your copy now. You can order Blogging Tips: What Bloggers Won’t Tell You About Blogging at the brand new Blog Herald Store. (How cool is that? One of the best blog resources is now offering analog resources!)
And no, I’m not getting compensated at all for recommending this one. It’s not even an Amazon affiliate link. That doesn’t matter. Just order your copy today. You’ll be glad you did.
My copy is in the mail and I can’t wait to read it when it arrives.
Ok, I’ve just moved her book to the top of the stack. In fact, I’m taking it with me to New York.
I’m still working through two items from her list of “What Bloggers Won’t Tell You about Blogging.”
My plans are still fuzzy, but I’m working on it.
I just sat down and started to read Lorelle’s book today. I’m planning to sink in the tub after the kids are in bed and really dive into it!
Char - I’m bummed you couldn’t make it to Chicago! Of course then you wouldn’t have to wait for your copy. (Dig. Dig.)
Mark - Fuzzy plans… I can totally relate!
Karen - I’m interested to hear your thoughts on the book after you’ve had a chance to look it over a bit.
Wow! Chris, much thanks to you and Gorgeous for the wonderful conference in Chicago but also for the kind words and recommendation. And you quoted me pretty accurately - good memory, even at that late hour with all the fun we were having!
Mark, I’m so glad the list of things bloggers don’t tell you about blogging rang a bell. I sure wish I’d know these things all those years ago before blogging became blogging.
And Chris, you are right. One of the tips I forgot was to get a VERY comfortable chair to sit on before your computer. Once you start blogging, your backside will need a lot of tender loving cushioning.
[...] you would like to get an idea of what is in Blogging Tips, Chris Cree wrote a nice article/review about the book. Check it [...]
Lorelle, It never ceases to amaze me what I can recall from the depths of a caffeine buzz days before!
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[...]And no, I’m not getting compensated at all for recommending this one. It’s not even an Amazon affiliate link. That doesn’t matter. Just order your copy today. You’ll be glad you did.[...] I will order a copy and come back to this website to give you my review.
i just wrote my first blog not to long ago but nothing is happening with it my blog is called FIGHT THE BRAIN WASHING WITH THE REAL TRUTH” i really put my heart and soul into it and may bee it is to controversial . but it is really what i personally know to be true and it really comes from my heart my usr name on word press is christian comedian and i also have a blog about my cement floor company called over worked and under paid . i just need to know how do i get people to read my blog, thank you so much for letting me write a comment if you really want to know what is on my mind it is on my blog it is very deep
I have 6 blogs and manager 14 blogs for other people…I am going to purchase this book Because i love to find new tips and read other peoples ideas on blogging/PR/Rankings
I am known to get both sites and blogs from PR 1 up to PR5 in only a few month so hopefully this can help me even more (looking for a PR7)
The book offers a lot of good information. Thanks for the tip.
@bluesandwest: why bother about a high PageRank? PR is not that important (anymore). Good quality content will win from high PR in the long run!
@Bluesandwest: if your statement:
[ I am known to get websites and blogs from PR 1 up to PR5 in only a few month so hopefully this can help me even more (looking for a PR7)]
is true…. wow, what an achievement!
[...] you want to learn more, this book is a great [...]