Dozens of books are published every year on the subject of blogging. But really, few are worth recommending to a friend at the end of the day. Take your time to thumb through the Internet/blogging section in your favourite bookstore. And most of what you would see is pretty much the same dated content, if not old news. At worst, some of what you find are the same re-hashed SEO marketing guides published under a different guise.
Over the years since blogging exploded on the Internet, plenty of quality titles have been published about professional bloggers and the blogosphere. And some of the more successful books for bloggers have been penned by bloggers themselves. So, below is a list of ten of the most well-crafted and engaging books about blogging published in print:
Best Books for Bloggers
A Blogger's Manifesto: Free Speech and Censorship in a Digital World
Erik Ringmar's wonderfully tongue-and-cheek declaration of blogger independence debuted in 2007. Since its release, Ringmar's manifesto has been held up high by those interested in the social and political implications of blogging. According to Ringmar's “A Blogger's Manifesto”, one man's revolution is another man's taken-for-granted freedom of speech.
Literary classics die hard. And some titles on writing are as relevant today as when they were first released. One such masterpiece is William Zissner's On Writing Well
Zissner's book pre-dates the rise of the blogosphere by 30 years. But within its pages, bloggers seeking to refine their craft will find one of the best non-fiction style guides ever published.
Blogging Heroes: Interviews with 30 of the World's Top Bloggers
Michael A. Banks gets right at the heart of the matter and let's bloggers tell the story about blogging in their own words. Published in 2008, “Blogging Heroes” features in depth interviews with infamous bloggers like Ken Fisher and Brian Lam.
Hot Text: Web Writing That Works
Writing for the Internet remains an elusive art form to outsiders. And Lisa Price's “Hot Text” brings to light some of the lesser known nuances of writing web content in all its common forms. Covering historical and theoretical perspectives, Price walks reader's through the finer details of online writing.
Co-authored by Ann Handley and social media guru C.C. Chapman, “Content Rules” gives a comprehensive overview of the differing forms of web content. Not limited to blogging, Chapman and Handley flesh out one of the more elusive concepts of online writing, quality content development. “Content Rules” gives credence to the SEO mantra “content is king”.
ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income
In 2010 Darren Rowe and Chris Garrett demystified the secrets behind some of the most successful professional bloggers. “Problogger” speaks with all the authority you would expect out of piece of literature written by professional bloggers. As far as domain monetization is concerned, this is the best book written on the subject to date according to dozens of reviews.
Twitter Power 2.0: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time
Most people wouldn't associate the social media network Twitter with blogging. But Joel Comm's “Twitter Power 2.0” draws the connection quite succinctly. Comm even takes on the potential of Twitter as a marketing force to be reckoned with and makes his argument quite convincingly.
Essential Blogging: Selecting and Using Weblog Tools
Some of the best and brightest minds of the blogosphere contributed to “Essential Blogging”. And the results speak for themselves in this all-inclusive guide to some of a bloggers most cherished tools of the trade. Experienced bloggers can even find some pretty good tips in this one.
Publish and Prosper: Blogging for Your Business
Written by DL Byron and Steve Brobak, “Publish and Prosper” masterfully covers the sensitive subject of business blogging. Here, Brobak and Byron answers some of the more pressing questions any business blogger will have. If you are truly looking for a different perspective on online marketing, this book is for you.
Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable
Seth Godin's reputation in the world of Internet marketing proceeds itself. And in this often funny, always engaging book, Godin delivers a burst of positive reinforcement into the blogosphere. While not a book about blogging per se, “Purple Cow” still carries weight as a useful guide for novice bloggers.
What books are you reading to help improve your blog? I'd love to hear about it.
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