It's high time there was another Modern Country book review, don't you agree? ....Today's book in the spotlight is Blogging For Bliss: Crafting Your Own Online Journal by Tara Frey. I was so excited to buy my copy a couple of weeks ago. I've read it cover to cover now so feel I can give you a good overview.
It calls itself 'a guide to crafters, artists, and creatives of all kinds.'
Let's see if the book delivers, beyond the undeniably great graphics....
I've put this on my new Amazon carousel in my sidebar if you want a closer look at more reader reviews or to click through and buy it...
(which I think I get paid about 2p for!).
Blogging For Bliss is divided into seven chapters. Each of those chapters has a selection of eight or so blogs presented like this:
Each highlighted blog has a general overview as well as a few choice snippets from its author.
It spotlights bloggers such as Alicia Paulson (Posie Gets Cozy), Gabreial Wyatt (Vintage Indie), Emily Martin (Inside A Black Apple), Lidy Baars (Little French Garden House), Heather Bullard (Vintage Inspired Living), and Serena Thompson and Teri Edwards (The Farm Chicks).
One thing I was quite surprised at is the blogs picked to be highlighted. I'd hoped to find lots of new delights to devour but not many of them have really grabbed me enough to search them out...
That's not a complaint exactly, I just thought the choice lacked variety...I guess these are picked out by Tara Frey so it's only natural that they'd all reflect her taste.
Just a little niggle....
Let's take a closer look at the layout, shall we?
The beginning covers all the basics of getting going...
from choosing your platform (Blogger, Typepad, Wordpress...)....
through putting thought into picking a good name and the process of setting up your blog.
Blogging For Bliss doesn't shy away from teaching some basic html, which is sooooo useful for a bit of blog-fiddling. I finally learnt how to add the © sign.
Yes... I did it!!
Then it moves on to talk through making your blog visually appealing...taking great photos....
designing your banner, cropping and sizing images (in for the iPhoto and Windows)....
choosing fonts....
and sorting out your sidebar.
Blogging For Bliss talks you through building up your blog traffic via giveaways, Search Engine Optimization, your Blog roll and Subscriber Feeds.
Chapter Seven focuses on linking in your business to your blog. Not in any great detail but the information provided seems pretty sound.
And last but not least, there's a great resources list for everything blog-related from backgrounds and wallpapers to domain names.
Throughout the book the hints and tips that Blogging For Bliss gives are reinforced by screen grabs from other blogs showing how they've carried Tara's pointers through to their blogs.
Having the theory and practice side by side helps you to remember all that's being said very effectively.
I love Blogging For Bliss and am really pleased I bought it, even if it is a little on the sparse side with useful information at times. Aside from learning how to do this: © ......(don't be surprised if I copyright everything in sight now!!)....Blogging For Bliss starts from the absolute beginnings of blogging and take you through to the upper echelons of the bigger bloggers.
{So....what do you think?}
I had a fabulous weekend getting crafty. I've made a BRILLIANT cushion (even if I say so myself!) out of.....
an old pair of school trousers
and a tea towel....
Can you believe it? I hardly can myself!
I can't wait to share with you how it turned out.....
Until next time, *warm hugs*, have a lovely day.
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