Book Review: Blogophobia Conquered

Fear not, dear almost-blogger.

These are the soothing words of Laura Christianson in her worthwhile e-book, Blogophobia Conquered.

I wouldn’t consider myself a blogophobe, really. More like over-confident and under-informed.

Laura’s book will serve you well if:

•   you are trying to determine if you need a blog
•   you have fears about your abilities to blog successfully 
•   you just want to get started, and need a guiding hand to hold.

Or perhaps, like me, you launched a blog in typical I-don’t-need-to-read-the-instructions, I-can-figure-this-out-myself fashion. Now it’s time to go back and fill in the gaps left in the wake of your exuberance.

In her friendly tone—comparing blog hosting services to ready-made pie crusts—Laura provides practical encouragement rather than stuffy technical jargon.

Most helpful for me, she emphasizes the discipline of time management. (C’mon guys, am I the only one who struggles with this?) Scheduling, for a creative type, is a party-killer! After a few months of winging it, I concede that I must set clear goals and make a plan. Here are some of Laura’s suggestions:

• Commit to a set time period (a year) to experiment with your blog and build your brand.
• Decide how often you will post and set “reasonable, attainable goals.” She points out that burnout is your worst enemy.
• Act like a real Editor! Make a schedule, calendaring the days and topics you will post.

You can download the first chapter of Blogophobia Conquered for FREE, and there’s much more to check out over at Laura Christianson’s site, Blogging Bistro. If you seek a more confident and successful approach to social media, she may become your new best friend.