The Best References for Writers and Bloggers

You might be a talented writer, but unless you know the ins and outs of your field, chances are, you will have a much harder time becoming successful. Fortunately, there are plenty of great writing references out there on the market today to help writers and bloggers!

WordPress for Dummies: WordPress for Dummies by Lisa Sabin-Wilson is a fantastic book for bloggers who are required to or choose to work with WordPress. This book helped me quickly and easily learn WordPress 2.0, and although the book didn't cover WordPress 2.5 at the time, I learned enough about version 2.0 that I could easily figure out how to use WordPress version 2.5.

The second edition of WordPress for Dummies will come out on November 3, 2008, and I suggest waiting to buy this edition, as it is the most up-to-date. The book WordPress for Dummies will teach you how to write blog posts, upload images, upload videos, how to develop your own WordPress themes or to find free themes, how to interact with readers through your comments section, how to manage comments, how to organize a blogroll, how to set up a MySQL database, how to install WordPress.org, how to use CSS and plug-ins, how to add and utilize widgets, how to make permalinks, and much more.

You can pre-order the book from Amazon.com right now or wait until the book arrives in bookstores. You can purchase the book when it comes out through Barnes & Noble, Borders, Walden Books, and other bookstores. You can purchase this book for $16.49 on Amazon.com; the price may be different if you buy it in your local bookstore.

Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer: Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer by Jenna Glatzer is a great book for any aspiring freelance writer looking to make a successful career writing for magazines. In this book, after providing appropriate caution for starting in the business of freelance writing, teaches you how to write good, clean, and effective query letters, how to find and develop a new perspective on ideas, where you can find markets, how to research, how to interview effectively, when and if to contact an editor if you don't hear back within a certain amount of time regarding your query, and more. She also provides samples of queries that have landed her jobs, which I thought were very helpful.

I don't do a lot of magazine queries right now, but I have found this book extremely helpful in finding and developing ideas. I plan to utilize this book more when I decide to begin querying magazines more often.

You can purchase Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer from Amazon.com or order it through your local Borders or Barnes & Noble bookstore. The book costs $13.57 on Amazon.com; it may be differently priced at your local bookstore.

Blogging for Dummies: Blogging for Dummies by Susannah Gardner is another great book for beginning or even experienced bloggers. Not only does Blogging for Dummies teach you how to run a good blog in an already crowded blogsphere, it will also teach you how to get traffic, how to advertise on your blog to make money, how to deal with comment spam, how to videoblog, how to upload videos, audio, and images to your blog, how to choose the right blogging software for you, how to protect your job and your privacy, how to promote your business with your blog, how to find your niche, and more.

I didn't get this book until I had been blogging for a while, but it was still useful to me. Even as an experienced blogger, I learned new things from Blogging for Dummies.

Blogging for Dummies can be purchased through Amazon.com for $14.95. It can also be found and purchase from the computer and technology section of your local bookstore.

Writer's Market: Writer's Market by Robert Brewer is a must-have for any writer who writes for magazines. Writer's Market lists thousands of magazines along with their writer's guidelines and to whom to send queries. You can purchase Writer's Market from Amazon.com for $19.79. You can also purchase this book in any major bookstore, such as Barnes & Noble or Borders.

There are also Writer's Market books for authors who want to write in the children's industry, poetry, and novels and short story industry. Additionally, you can purchase the Guide to Literary Agents if you are interested in writing books. You can purchase any of the Writer's Market books on Amazon.com or from a major bookstore.

The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency As a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less: The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Boweman is a fantastic book for any writer who wants to become a successful copywriter. Boweman offers practical advice along with stories about how he began his career as a freelance copywriter, which make this book enjoyable to read.

In the book, you'll learn how to handle different types of clients, how to market yourself, how to develop a copywriting portfolio, how much to charge, and more. This book is best for beginning copywriters or those who are thinking seriously about becoming a freelance copywriter.

This book is available through Amazon.com for $13.57. You can also order this book through your local bookstore.

Blogging for Dollars: Blogging for Dollars by Angela Booth is a great guide for beginning bloggers. Not only will she tell you how to set up your own blog, she will tell you what blogging software is free to utilize, how to make your blog successful, how to develop a readership, how to make money with your blog, and how to set financial blogging goals.

Angela Booth sells her e-book Blogging for Dollars for $37, and accepts payment through PayPal and with credit cards. She also includes a few bonuses with her e-book, including the e-book Everything You Need to Know About Blog Content, a free report called Content Delivery Power, the free report Marketing with Blogging and RSS, and a free coaching session with Angela herself.

I purchased this book, and found it practical and very easy to read. Angela Booth has a very conversational and down-to-earth writing style with easy to understand language.

To buy Angela Booth's e-book Blogging for Dollars, please go here.

The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book Into a Full-Time Living: The Well-Fed Self-Publisher by Peter Boweman is a great book for anyone who is interested in publishing their own books or e-books. In this book, Boweman tells you how to write a quality book that readers will want to buy, how to market and promote your book, and discusses different options you can utilize for self-publishing, distribution, and so forth.

This book can be purchased through Amazon.com for $13.57 or can be ordered through your local bookstore.

As a writer or blogger, you will face many challenges on your way to success. These books are great references to help you achieve your goals and to attain the successful career you want.

Sources:

Amazon.com: WordPress for Dummies:

http://www.amazon.com/WordPress-Dummies-Computer-Tech/dp/0470402962/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224734123&sr=8-1

Amazon.com: Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer:

http://www.amazon.com/Make-Real-Living-Freelance-Writer/dp/097220265X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224735014&sr=1-1

Amazon.com: Blogging for Dummies:

http://www.amazon.com/Blogging-Dummies-Computer-Tech/dp/0470230177/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224736184&sr=1-1

Amazon.com: Writer's Market:

http://www.amazon.com/2009-Writers-Market-Robert-Brewer/dp/1582975418/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224737278&sr=1-1

Amazon.com: The Well-Red Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency As a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less:

http://www.amazon.com/Well-Fed-Writer-Financial-Self-Sufficiency-Freelance/dp/0967059844/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224738352&sr=1-1

Angela Booth's Info Magic: Blogging for Dollars:

http://abmagic.com/Blog/blogging.html

Amazon.com: The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book Into a Full-Time Living:

http://www.amazon.com/Well-Fed-Self-Publisher-Turn-Full-Time-Living/dp/0967059860/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224742689&sr=1-1