Bloggers Boot Camp: Learning How to Build, Write, and Run a Successful Blog 2nd Edition

The book has excellent information for anyone wondering if a blog is really what they need. This book will be one I will continue to refer to for help and for answers.

For about five years (during the heyday of my son's childhood), I was a blogger. It started as a way to break up the monotony of being a stay-at-home mom who need a creative outlet and some adult contact (even it was through the Internet). I started just writing about my life with occasional book reviews (as I'm an avid reader) when I "discovered" blogging through a few friends who kept blogs. At one point, I had two separate blogs -- one a humorous "lifestyle" blog and one devoted to book reviews. When that became too much, I combined them into one blog. It was a fun hobby that eventually became burdensome -- taking up much more time than I really had to devote to it. Eventually, feeling burnt out, I quit blogging completely -- giving up my domain names and ceasing everything. In the three years since, I've devoted myself to volunteering at my son's school but I do miss the creative parts of blogging (the writing and blog design) and the positive social aspects (communicating with like-minded individuals). I've been toying with the idea of returning to blogging and thought this book might provide me with some guidance on how to successfully return to blogging without making many of the same mistakes I made the first time out.Although this book is full of good information, it is more geared to people who want to become hard-core, full-time bloggers rather than hobbyist bloggers like myself. However, I think that both groups of people can find helpful hints and nuggets of wisdom within the book to keep them from making many of the rookie mistakes that I made during my "blogging career." (For example, I chose an incredibly long domain name my first time out--which I quickly came to regret.) One thing this book makes clear though is that blogging is a huge time commitment and only a small amount of people are going to be able to make money from it. One lesson that comes through loud and clear is that blogging must be -- first and foremost -- a passion project for the blogger. You need to write about something you are passionate about and knowledgeable about. The act of blogging needs to be what drives you -- not making money, building an audience or gaining fame. Without that passion and interest, you're not going to be able to cut it as a blogger because it requires a time commitment and level of mental energy that will quickly outstrip your time and abilities.But if blogging is something you already do but need guidance in or you want to blog but want to avoid making mistakes as you start, this book can be an invaluable guide. Be forewarned that it focuses mostly on journalistic type blogging or tech blogging. However, the lessons and topics covered definitely apply to all types of bloggers. From finding your voice to picking your blogging platform to promoting your blog to making your blog visually appealing, this book provides solid and basic guidance on all aspects of blogging. Now it is up to you to decide if you have what it takes. Good luck!

If you're serious about blogging, "Bloggers Boot Camp" should be on your desk. Authors Charlie White and John Biggs will guide you through the realities of blogging, but don't expect them to pat you in the head and look the other way if you don't feel like writing. There is a reason the term "Boot Camp" is on the title. They require you to work hard, put in a minimum of 1,000 words daily, post thorough the day, and keep a constant watch for the latest news and trends on your chosen topic while they hold you and your content up to the standards of a professional news reporter."Bloggers Boot Camp" is a no-nonsense guide to every aspect of blogging. This book is targeted to those who want their blogs not only to become popular but also profitable. In other words, if you're looking to blogging as a business enterprise or as a career, heed the advice within its 11 chapters. Successful blogging starts with writing informative and entertaining posts. White and Biggs will tell you how to achieve that. They'll not only list all the skills needed to create effective posts, but also how to make them "discoverable" to thousands of readers. The authors offer advice on everything, from writing, equipment, computer skills, advertising, marketing, building traffic, using social media, job hunting to dealing with trolls and critics, PR people, and even burnout.I found "Bloggers Boot Camp" to be a thorough book on the subject of blogging. It does, however, favor those who are or will be practicing Internet-niche journalism. The examples, metaphors, parallels, news gathering techniques, standards and values found in this book are based on professional journalism. Those who blog about their personal internal life or about their cats once a week--the authors refer to them as "diarists"--need not walk away from this guide, though. In fact, they will benefit from reading it too. When it comes to blogging, whether we do it professionally or casually, we all can use good grammar, eye-catching ledes and moral integrity. There is a wealth of tips in this book. From doing an entertaining podcast to following our blogging dreams, "Bloggers Boot Camp" has it all.

I have some experience as a casual blogger and have also contributed pieces to larger blogs, but I still consider myself a beginner when it comes to blogging.The book is mostly aimed toward those who want to take blogging seriously and want to gain a loyal following of readers. Various platforms, such as Blogger and Wordpress, make it relatively easy to start blogging - so if you're looking to start a personal blog for private use or for family/friends, then you can probably get by without this book. If, however, you have aspirations of running a popular blog (and possibly even earning some decent money), then the book is going to be helpful to you.If you already have a blog, you'll find all sorts to tips and tricks to improve it -- blogging tools, how to achieve a professional look, ad integration, best practices for networking with other bloggers, etc.The main takeaway here is that the most important thing is the content you provide. Having quality, well-written content that is unique and fills a niche is still the best way to get (and keep) readers.The information in the book can all be found via online resources, but it helps to have it all compiled into this one place - plus, the author's insights are helpful and the book is very well written and easy to follow. Recommended!

How good is this book! I was addicted after chapter one! Brilliant, simple and effective content - high recommend

Great book exactly as others have said