Befuddled By Blogging? Books to Blog By

Curious about blogging? Wanna know how to do it? Wondering how it evolved? Don’t have a clue as to its incredible impact?

Many fellow authors and entrepreneurs have been tossing such blogging questions at me lately. Gee, I’m flatttered, but I’m just not an expert even though I’m happily posting my thoughts, which are getting "pinged" into the "blogosphere." (Flummoxed by those terms? So was I not so long ago.)

You see, I decided to start a blog after attending a Publishers Marketing Association Publishing University in early June, where one speaker after another urged us authors to blog to build a platform and get the word out about our books. That convinced me. Not knowing how or where to begin, I consulted experts. Here, then, are my four hot resources to help you quickly become a blogger or blog watcher:

1. Blog by Hugh Hewitt

Even if you decide not to blog, you simply must buy, devour (!), and digest the fascinating book Blog by the amazingly articulate and knowledgeable New York Times best-selling author Hugh Hewitt, a hugely popular blogger (hughhewitt.com), nationally syndicated conservative radio talk show host, constitutional law professor at Chapman University, and columnist for The Weekly Standard and WorldNetDaily.com.

In Blog, Hewitt convincingly skewers the mainstream media or "MSM" (of which I used to be a member) and explains how blogging is revolutionizing our information landscape and dismantling the old media monopoly.

Hewitt transports you into very recent history and explains how smart, savvy, muckraking bloggers kept stories alive that — ultimately, with the help of the slow-to-dig-up-the-facts MSM — led to the unraveling (so to speak) of Dan Rather (or "Rathergate," as the author dubs it) and Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.).

Hewitt even recounts how bloggers unmasked John Kerry’s lie (his "Christmas-not-in-Cambodia debacle," as Hewitt puts it) and doggedly pursued the truth about the embellishing, exaggering rogue journalist Jayson Blair, whose scandalous downfall also hurt New York Times editor Howell Raines.

Whatever your political persuation, you’ll be intrigued, I believe, by Hewitt’s insights and perspectives, as well as his touting of blogging as "a nearly cost-free opportunity to establish or defend a brand and to introduce new products or buzz, and to do so over and over again."

Hewitt also offers newbies a rundown of some of the most influential bloggers and blogs out there, including Glenn Reynolds (Instapundit), Atrios, Joshua Micah Marshall, (Talking Points Memo), TimesWatch, Jim Romenesko (at Poynter Online), Mickey Kaus (Kausfiles), Seth Mnookin, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, Froggy Ruminations, Scott Johnson (PowerLine), Beldar (William J. Dyer) and Andrew Sullivan.

2. Blog Coach Andy Wibbels

While I was reading Hewitt’s book, I next turned to another invaluable resource. Enter self-described "blogging evangelist" and coach Andy Wibbels, who patiently trained me and helped me set up my blog at breakneck speeds. Remarkably, my blog was literally up within minutes, and within days, I was easily posting entries! Very cool!

I highly recommend Andy’s services. Download his free, informative, 20-page Easy Bake Web Weblogs special report or get a free preview on building your own blog. You can participate in Andy’s Podcasting Bootcamp. And if you want a course, Andy offers one from July 27 to August 24, 2005

3. Buzz Marketing with Blogs for Dummies

Lastly, I recommend Buzz Marketing with Blogs for Dummies by Susannah Gardner, co-founder and creative director of Hop Studios Internet Consultants. While the first part of the book doesn’t apply to me (though it might to you, if you’re with a corporation), the last section of Buzz Marketing is quite informative to anyone, including the chapters on understanding your audience, promoting your blog, and adding value to a blog.

So gleefully go for it! Join us. Check out my three hot leads. Launch a blog. Speak out. Find your blogging voice. Spread the word about your provocative online home. Start schmoozing on the ‘Net with fellow, thoughtful scribblers. Liberally link to other sites. Get some buzz for your product or services. Make an impact. Oh, and let me know when you become a blogger. At the least, start making comments on others’ sites.