If you want to start blogging fast, but don?t want to get sidetracked by the details, then you need a Visual QuickProject Guide!

Writing in a journal is all well and good, but when you’re ready to share your musings with the world (and you think the world is ready to receive them!), a blog is the way to go. For just $12.99, this compact guide shows you how! Using big, bold full-color pictures and streamlined instructions, it covers just the need-to-know essentials that will get you blogging with leading free blog software--Google?s Blogger--in a matter of minutes.  Best-selling author Elizabeth Castro takes you through each step of the blogging process--from acquainting you with the interface to setting up your blog, creating your profile, posting email, adding pictures and audio, and more. Occasional sidebars and tips point out other useful blogging tips and tricks. 

If you want to start blogging fast, but don’t want to get sidetracked by the details, then you need a Visual QuickProject Guide!

Writing in a journal is all well and good, but when you're ready to share your musings with the world (and you think the world is ready to receive them!), a blog is the way to go. For just $12.99, this compact guide shows you how! Using big, bold full-color pictures and streamlined instructions, it covers just the need-to-know essentials that will get you blogging with leading free blog software--Google’s Blogger--in a matter of minutes.  Best-selling author Elizabeth Castro takes you through each step of the blogging process--from acquainting you with the interface to setting up your blog, creating your profile, posting email, adding pictures and audio, and more. Occasional sidebars and tips point out other useful blogging tips and tricks. 

Writing in a journal is all well and good, but when you’re ready to share your musings with the world (and you think the world is ready to receive them!), a blog is the way to go. As the latest phenomenon to grow out of the Web, the blog (or Web log) is a diary with a difference: Rather than speaking to yourself, you’re speaking to the world -- and, best of all, the world can talk back! Here to get you started is a low-priced guide to the leading free blog software: Google’s Blogger. Using large color illustrations and a minimum of verbiage, this compact, tightly focused guide from best-selling author Elizabeth Castro takes you through each step of the blogging process -- from acquainting you with the interface to setting up your blog, creating your profile, posting email, adding pictures and audio, and using BlogThis to post your blog from anywhere on the Web.

Okay, BUT Outdated (already)
Published in 2005, this book has, to an extent, become obsolete. In general the HTML hasn’t changed, but during the last few years Blogger has updated its interface so what you see as an example in the book won’t correspond 1-to-1 with what you’ll see on today’s Blogger pages.

Now if this doesn’t intimidate you, then you might go ahead and consider this little book for a quick-look-see into how Blogger works. (I’d get it from the library though).

Here’s the TOC so you can see what’s covered.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Starting your blog
Writing your blog
Blogging from afar
Personalizing your blog
Telling others about yourself
Getting others to contribute
Hosting your blog yourself
Getting the word out
Appendix a: template tags
Index

Appearance of the material:

Nice format with enough color to keep it interesting. The font is large-ish so that I didn’t have to wear me specs. In general, there’s not alot of text which is something I appreciate. Ms. Castro gets down to business without a great deal of fluff.

The material is taught using the "screen shot" approach. This approach seems to work well for computer oriented learning.

My Impressions

While the screen shots of the menus no longer correspond with Blogger today I had no problem following what she was saying. I DO think it might be a problem for the true Newbie. If you are too timid to just throw yourself into Blogger and experiment, then this book will likely only succeed in confusing you.

To give an example, there is no Layout Tab in the book’s Blogger examples.

Sooo, in my opinion the true residual use of the book is the html fixes that the author demonstrates. She shows, for example, how to rename "Archives" as "File Cabinet" in edit mode; and also how to change the look of the header, changing the padding and altering the color to exactly what you want.

Sorry, Out of Date
Well written and easy to use but some "settings" have changed on Blogger and it is a bummer to have to figure that out.

Time for an update.

A Bit Dated
Back in the day, this would have been a most excellent book. It still is in some respects. But, saddly, it suffers from the fact that Blogger has moved on, and like most technology books in this rapidly changing world, it has not.

I truly respect Ms. Castro’s talents as a writer and teacher. Her books on HTML, XHTML, and CSS (for example HTML, XHTML, and CSS, Sixth Edition (Visual Quickstart Guide)) have saved me much time and grief over the years. However, much of the still useful information in this book could just as well be found in the Blogger Help pages.

Still, if you need a little hand holding to get started I highly recommend "Publishing a Blog with Blogger."

Great book.
I love the Visual Quick Start series, and this book is no exception. It has jump starred my blog and I feel it is worth keeping around for hints and questions that come up. I wasn’t sure if the book being published a few years ago would still be relevant but it is.

Short, Simple, Powerful
Wow, I am shocked at how much I learned about blogging in just 120 pages. The author has done a great job at getting this book down to the bare-bones, leaving nothing but the necessary information. The method of using graphics more than text really made this an easy read, yet conveyed much more information than text alone.

I knew a little about blogging and had already begun using blogger when I read this book. I did not expect to learn as much as I did; I did not know about the many extra features, such as blogging from a phone. This book is work every penny.

Delightfully Simple. Really.
If you like books that combine images with easy-to-understand instructions, Publishing a Blog with Blogger is for you.

This book is a no-nonsense guide to begin blogging fast and easy. I have three blogs, and this book taught me more about starting and making simple changes than I’ve read anywhere else.

I especially appreciate Chapter 3’s information on blogging by phone or Email and numerous ideas on customizing your blog space. This book focuses on the Blogger platform; however, the tips are usable on any type of blog.

Get this book if your goal is to create a blog with minimum effort and maximum results.

Great Book for Beginning Bloggers
*****
This book is very visual, lots of fun, and easy to read and understand---in short, perfect for the beginning blogger. It is the exact opposite of a reference manual, and thus is very hands on. Note that this book is only for people who want to use Blogger, which is free, to publish their blog. If you don’t know what you want to publish your blog with, you like the "free" part, and you’re not a business, you probably will be very, very happy with Blogger. So this would definitely be the book for you.

It is only 127 pages, so it’s not overwhelming to read. You can easily go through it over a weekend and get your blog up and running. If you have HTML or XHTML experience, you’ll find lots of good things, too, so slightly more experienced bloggers may still pick up a few tips, like how to change their header on a template or how to syndicate their blog.

If you are a geek, you won’t need this book. You’ll just log onto Blogger and think it’s "intuitive" and be able to do everything. However, if you’re like me and get stuck a lot, even with so-called "intuitive" software, you’ll love this book.

Even though this book was published in 2005, and yes, Blogger is in a new version, I haven’t found any problems applying what is in the book. None at all. The new version of Blogger just does more things for you; everything in the book still needs to be done one way or another. So it’s doesn’t make the book dated as far as it’s utility goes. If you’re really a beginner (which is who this book is for) you might not even notice.

There are pictures throughout of what the screens look like, so instead of TELLING you what to do and letting you figure it out, the book SHOWS you what to do and you just follow along. It keeps things as simple as possible.

Highly recommended for beginning bloggers.
*****

Great Book for Beginning Bloggers
*****

This book is very visual, lots of fun, and easy to read and understand---in short, perfect for the beginning blogger. It is the exact opposite of a reference manual, and thus is very hands on. Note that this book is only for people who want to use Blogger, which is free, to publish their blog. If you don’t know what you want to publish your blog with, you like the "free" part, and you’re not a business, you probably will be very, very happy with Blogger. So this would definitely be the book for you.



It is only 127 pages, so it’s not overwhelming to read. You can easily go through it over a weekend and get your blog up and running. If you have HTML or XHTML experience, you’ll find lots of good things, too, so slightly more experienced bloggers may still pick up a few tips, like how to change their header on a template or how to syndicate their blog.



If you are a geek, you won’t need this book. You’ll just log onto Blogger and think it’s "intuitive" and be able to do everything. However, if you’re like me and get stuck a lot, even with so-called "intuitive" software, you’ll love this book.



Even though this book was published in 2005, and yes, Blogger is in a new version, I haven’t found any problems applying what is in the book. None at all. The new version of Blogger just does more things for you; everything in the book still needs to be done one way or another. So it’s doesn’t make the book dated as far as it’s utility goes. If you’re really a beginner (which is who this book is for) you might not even notice.



There are pictures throughout of what the screens look like, so instead of TELLING you what to do and letting you figure it out, the book SHOWS you what to do and you just follow along. It keeps things as simple as possible.



Highly recommended for beginning bloggers.

*****

Great Book, Needs Updating
As others have attested, this is an excellent beginning guide. It is clear and easy to understand, in large part due to the screen shots and non-technical language. It is definitely an entry-level book.

What was lacking for me was that Blogger has just moved to a new version so the interface for editing much of the code in templates and other helps has changed. This will be a challenge for a relative beginner such as myself.

For just getting the basics, this is a great book, but keep in mind that there are changes to Blogger since it was printed.

Direct and Easy
I really thought this book was great, showing and giving more information than Discovering Computers. I recommend the book Publishing a Blog with Blogger for those who want to make a blog fast.

Chapters:
Introduction- talks about what a blog is and how it works, what tools you need, and offers additional help, along with how to use the book.
1. Starting your blog- tells you where you have to go, set your account, name your blog, choose a template, viewing your dashboard, and signing in and out.
2. Writing your blog- tells you how to get down to the writing. How to add ,edit, and your posts, linking blogs, saving and publishing your draft, and formatting and your pictures.
3. Bloggoing from afar- tells you how to blog an email, blog from your toolbar, set up and label audio blogger , and also blog on your cell phone.
4. Personalizing your blog- tells how to add the description, more about templates and picking one, adding links, removing and renaming sections, adding your previous posts, changing headers and adding footers, unifying your color scheme, saving ,republishing, and backing up the templates , and changing the dates and time zone display.
5. Telling others about yourself- tells how to view and edit your profile, add photos to your profile, adding general info., blurbs, and searchable bits, searching others profiles and how to format your "about me".
6. Getting others to contribute- How to leave, view, allow, delete, stop, hide, and bar comments, adding and removing members, formatting members posts, and joining a blog.
7. Hosting your blog yourself- Tells you how to get a web host, web domain, switching to your FTP, FTP settings, testing, posting, and adding photos to your FTP’d blog, and removing you navbar.
8. Getting the word out- Shows how to List your blog, announce new posts, syndicate your blog, offer link to site feed, and how to index you blog.

Summary:
In Publishing a Blog with Blogger, the author helps you start a blog fast. Without any of detail that might side track you. Shows you how to set things up step by step.

It seems to be very easy to follow with colorful pictures and brief description on the steps you take. Anyone can start easily with this book.

An excellent how to book.
What can I say? I was interested in writing a blog. I did not know how to do it. I found this book on Amazon. I ordered it. I read and studied it. And I now have my own blog. Thank you Elizabeth Castro. You are the best.

All you need to know to blog using Blogger
I have been writing on my blog using Blogger since 2002, so I am very familiar with almost all the options it provides you with to get your word out there in the blogosphere. Yet, I was able to pick up numerous new things when I read this book by Elizabeth Castro. It goes from the very basics that you’d need in order to get off the ground, all the way to incorporating audio into your blog, blogging via e-mail/telephone, customizing your blog, hosting it yourself and much, much more. It’s incredible the amount of useful information that the author was able to pack in a little over 100 pages.

As an experienced Blogger user I highly recommend this title (and of course, I recommend Blogger as a blogging platform).

Guide For The Blog Perplexed
I write poetry and have been frustrated in my attempts to have my poems published. This guide was very easy to use and I have set up my own site (www.legacyofpetrarch.blogspot.com) Comments from friends and one stranger have been highly gratifying.In addition, I have compiled a collection of poetry by others written in opposition to war (www.giveuspeace.blogspot.com).

Great Short Cut to Learning about Blogger
This book is like an instruction manual that comes with a new camera, but much better. Large color photographs of Blogger.com’s pages, along with clear instructions, helped me navigate the high seas of blogging.

Castro shows you every aspect of your blog - launching, posting, digital imagery, editing, and advertising. I examined each feature, opened and closed each until they became as familiar to me as my stove and car. Best of all I overcame the fear that I’d break something accidentally, let’s say, erased a link or two that my tech trainer had created.

Castro wrote the book for both Mac and PC users and carefully deals with compatibility issues by warning that some of the book’s illustrations might not match what you see on your screen. She then guides you along alternative routes.

Taking a few hours to study Castro’s crash-course manual saved me days of trial and error. I recommend it to all bloggers with Blogger.com.

Well written and well illustrated
Publishing a Blog with Blogger
By Elizabeth Castro
Published by Peachpit Press
ISBN 0321321235

Reviewed by Jim Lauria-HuNTUG member

Another well written and well illustrated title in the Visual Quick Guide Series.

Step by step guidance for beginners from starting to finishing your blog.

Castro covers the basics like writing your blog, blogging from afar, personalizing and hosting your blog to areas like joining team blogs, allowing comments and letting visitors post emails.

Big color illustrations and concise instructions make setting up a blog a snap. She even provides information on free links and plenty of information on Google’s online Blogger software.

If you’ve ever wanted to make an online presence in a blog here is a graet resource to get you up and going in no time.

I give this title a 5 star rating.

easy to follow visual guide
Castro gives us a very visual guide to using Blogger. The pages are mostly colourful diagrams. Screen shots of example blogs being made with Blogger, with markups annotating how these were produced. Enough detail is presented to let you make up your blog site with the usual features common to many blogs. Like having links to earlier postings. Or letting a blogger add her photo to her profile, and describing information about her like what region she hails from.

The book should be a quick read.

Learn to Blog Really Fast
I bought several books on blogging because I’m scheduled to teach a class about blogging at our library in late October. This little guide is the perfect teaching tool. Although it only covers one blog host, blogger.com, most of the information can be used with any host.

Fast And Easy Way To Become a Blogger
A blog or weblog is a great way to get started on the web and Blogger.com from Google is one of the most popular software for creating weblogs. In her book, Elizabeth Castro assumes that this may be your first web project as she walks you through the basics for creating a blog at Blogger.com.

First, she gives you an overview of Blogger.com, what the software does, and why she chose it as the subject for her book. After she introduces you to the Blogger Dashboard (the control panel where all the work is done), Castro shows you how to open a Blogger account, give your weblog a name and choose a template. The template does all the work for you when creating your weblog pages. All you need is the content that you want to publish and the template places everything in the correct spot on the webpage. Castro does a great job explaining all of this with step-by-step instructions and lots of illustrations.

Once you have posted your first weblog entry, Castro moves on to more advanced Blogger features such as working with the template tags to customize the look of your blog, how to control the members and comments features, how to post an entry by email and how to use Audioblogger to post an entry via the telephone.

Now that you have your weblog ready for the public, Castro discusses hosting your blog through Blogger’s BlogSpot hosting or on your own server. Finally, she shows the many ways to publicize your blog including email and site feeds.

Elizabeth Castro has written many other Visual QuickStart Guide books for Peachpit Press.