Blogackers

Blogging in Action is the package that gets us the most excited. It’s rare you find a book that’s ‘not too hot, not too cold, but juuuust right.’ The author, Shaun Taylor, has certainly outdone himself — but what you really care about is how the book and resource can help you, so let’s get to it!

You open the ebook and you notice right away that it isn’t your typical 50 page ebook. It comes in at over 250 pages! That is an absolute accomplishment in the world of ebook publishing. There could be some people who may be concerned that it will be too much information in too small a space, but the organization of the material makes it a non-issue.

Shaun starts out by outlining his goals for the book. He wants it to be current and up to date, cover many different topics, appeal to different experience levels, distill theory and concepts into action steps, and create a clear path for anyone who wants to make their mark as a blogger. In two words, he succeeds.

We truly try to give impartial reviews and give you both the good and the bad, but it is really difficult in this case. Even with the most critical of eyes, there is nothing that screams out to be changed here. There are times we thought, “wait a sec, he should have…oh, he did!”

For those who are concerned about having to dig through a pile of information they already know or aren’t interested in, Shaun takes a unique approach to solving that problem. Not only does the ebook include a regular table of contents, there are also ‘tags’ that indicate when you should read something. For example, if he includes information that isn’t essential he marks it with the tag! It is a clever and effective addition especially for those who haven’t much time to read.

The topics are presented in such a way that anyone can understand the concepts that are covered. The different sections in Blogging in Action generally start out with an overview of that particular section, but then they quickly move into action steps. This is fantastic, because you can’t become a successful blogger just by reading, you need to actually do something with the material. If you are not convinced to do just that after reading this book, no book will!

The table of contents for things you’ll learn is too large to list, but here are some of our favorites:

• Choosing a platform
• What is a blog?
• Configuring your blog for readers and search engines
• Backing up your blog
• What is a niche?
• How to do keyword research (comes with a tool!)
• Building your brand
• Creating compelling content
• Mistakes to avoid (this goes against what is taught in our least favorite blogging book)
• Which directories to submit to
• Article marketing
• Finding .edu and .gov links!
• Using social networking sites and strategy
• Monetization strategies
• Quick start videos for every step of the way

Clearly, Blogging in Action is the definitive guide for anyone who wants to get started with blogging. It is a very well designed, well edited ebook. It was created for readers of all skill levels. If you want to make sure you get the right book on how to blog and make money the first time, this is the one you should get.