Synopses & Reviews
They've gained a loyal following that continues to grow. They write about everything from business trends and the inner workings at Microsoft to parenting tips, personal secrets, and prolonging the life of your vehicle. They're passionate about their subjects and about the free expression of blogging. And they're even more passionate about being passionate.
They are thirty of the nation's most successful bloggers, and their stories and secrets—in their own words—fill these pages.
Technorati lists well over 102 million blogs, yet in such a sea of content, these bloggers stand out. Their voices are heard, their words are read, and their messages have an impact. In this fascinating and intimate look at the blogosphere, these influential and innovative individuals tell you what it takes to achieve blogging success.
If you've even thought about starting a blog, you can't afford to miss this wisdom.
the bloggers
Dave Taylor The Intuitive Life Business Blog
Chris Anderson The Long Tail
Gina Trapani Lifehacker
Ina Steiner AuctionBytes
Mary Jo Foley All About Microsoft
Dave Rothman TeleRead
Frank Warren PostSecret
Mike Masnick Techdirt
Mark Frauenfelder BoingBoing.net
Robert Scoble Scobleizer
Peter Rojas Engadget
John Neff Autoblog
Ken Fisher Ars Technica
Deborah Petersen Life in the Fast Lane
Joel Comm JoelComm.com
Brian Lam Gizmodo
Kristin Darguzas ParentDish
Chris Grant Joystiq
Scott McNulty The Unofficial Apple Weblog
Philipp Lenssen Google Blogoscoped
Brad Hill Weblogs, Inc.
Steve Rubel Micro Persuasion
Rebecca Lieb ClickZ
Deidre Woollard Luxist
Gary Lee An Internet Marketing Web Site
Richard MacManus Read/WriteWeb
Eric T. Internet Duct Tape
Victor Agreda DIY Life
Steve Garfield Steve Garfield's Video Blog
Grant Robertson Download Squad
Synopsis
Blogging Heroes reveals the secrets of effective blogging, delivered straight from the world’ s most popular bloggers It includes background about the top blogs on the Web (as determined by Technorati and by topic) and conversational interviews with the people behind those blogs. Readers will learn why these bloggers got into blogging, how they manage their blogs, and the single most-important element of each blogger’ s success. Also revealed are techniques for publicizing blogs (online and off), using blogs for marketing, and getting others to participate. The bloggers share tips on selecting topics, research, writing, dealing with problems, and more.
This book consists of informal Q& A interviews with thirty of the Web’ s most popular bloggers. The subjects represent the most popular of bloggers in general, as well as noted bloggers in certain subject areas, such as eBay, book publishing, and some brand-name consumer companies. Each such subject is the top blogger in his or her field. Each interview is preceded by an introduction to the blogger and her subject matter. The lead questions vary from one interview subject to another, but most ask either how the subject got started blogging, or when he became interested in the Web. (Succeeding questions cover the question not used as the lead.) As interviewer, the author leads each discussion and shapes it based on his research of the subject and the subject’ s responses. Personalities behind the blogs show through, but not enough to distract from the prevailing theme: Learn from the experience of the Masters.
Interviews are slanted toward the how-to elements and how each blogger became successful: Getting started (selecting a subject, hosting, software, etc.) Promoting the blog Managing posts Interacting with posters and “ lurkers”
Synopsis
"One of the true beauties and powers of blogs is that they can give voice to people who are not heard."
—Frank Warren, PostSecret
postsecret.blogspot.com
"Don't write anything in a blog that you wouldn't say to someone face to face."
—Scott McNulty, The Unofficial Apple Weblog
www.tuaw.com
"For me, the future of journalism is blogging."
—Mary Jo Foley, All About Microsoft
blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/
"I do my best thinking via my blogs."
—Chris Anderson, The Long Tail
www.thelongtail.com
"When I look out at the blogosphere, I don't see lots of inconsequential blogs. I see lots of possibility."
—Gina Trapani, Lifehacker
www.lifehacker.com
why do they blog?
It's addictive. It consumes an incredible amount of time, energy, and effort. It is their passion. And these bloggers wouldn't have it any other way.
Among more than 102,000,000 blogs, a few stand out as influential, ground-breaking, and singularly successful. These thirty bloggers have been featured in Wired magazine, Popular Science, and on CNN, NPR, MSNBC, and 20/20. In one-on-one conversations with Michael A. Banks, these innovative, creative thinkers have shared their tactics, their philosophies, what drives them, how they mine for subject matter, and their personal secrets for success. Come and learn from the masters.
Synopsis
Among more than 102,000,000 blogs, a few stand out as influential, ground-breaking, and singularly successful. These thirty bloggers, who write about everything from business trends to parenting, have been featured in Wired magazine, Popular Science, and on CNN, NPR, MSNBC, and 20/20. In one-on-one conversations with Michael A. Banks, these innovative, creative thinkers have shared their tactics, their philosophies, what drives them, how they mine for subject matter, and their personal secrets for success. Come and learn from the masters.
About the Author
Michael A. Banks has written more than forty books, including the bestseller
Crosley: Two Brothers and a Business Empire that Transformed the Nation. Online since 1979, he wrote some of the first hands-on guides introducing people to the online world and such services as CompuServe, AOL, and Prodigy, as well as the pre-Web Internet. He has also chronicled online activities for
Windows magazine,
Computer Shopper,
PCMagazine,
PC World,
BYTE, and other publications.
An enthusiastic blogger, Banks has participated in online communities for more than a quarter-century. He sees blogging as the cottage industry of the 21st century, and foresees a variety of new Internet-based business categories changing the shape of business over the next decade.
Table of Contents
Preface.
Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
1 Dave Taylor: The Intuitive Life Business Blog.
2 Chris Anderson: The Long Tail.
3 Gina Trapani: Lifehacker.
4 Ina Steiner: AuctionBytes.
5 Mary Jo Foley: All about Microsoft.
6 David Rothman: TeleRead.
7 Frank Warren: PostSecret.
8 Mike Masnick: Techdirt.
9 Mark Frauenfelder: BoingBoing.net.
10 Robert Scoble: Scobleizer.
11 Peter Rojas: Engadget.
12 John Neff: Autoblog.
13 Ken Fisher: Ars Technica.
14 Deborah Petersen: Life in the Fast Lane.
15 Joel Comm: JoelComm.com.
16 Brian Lam: Gizmodo.
17 Kristin Darguzas: ParentDish.
18 Chris Grant: Joystiq.
19 Scott McNulty: The Unofficial Apple Weblog.
20 Philipp Lenssen: Google Blogoscoped.
21 Brad Hill: Weblogs, Inc.
22 Steve Rubel: Micro Persuasion.
23 Rebecca Lieb: ClickZ.
24 Deidre Woollard: Luxist.
25 Gary Lee: An Internet Marketing Web Site.
26 Richard MacManus: Read/WriteWeb.
27 Eric T.: Internet Duct Tape.
28 Victor Agreda, Jr.: DIY Life.
29 Steve Garfield: Steve Garfield’s Video Blog.
30 Grant Robertson: Download Squad.
Further Reading.
Index.