Tim Bossie.com

I received my copy of the newly published book by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett yesterday afternoon. I must admit I have high expectations for this book. I have been following both of these high profile bloggers for some time and really appreciate, and respect, what they do. I believe their main goal is not the actual money that can be made with blogging, but in helping others do what they do.

With that premise in mind, and my expectations for the book, I opened up to the Introduction.

Initial Reaction

Here’s some initial thoughts as I began to read.

Problogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

As stated already, I have very high expectations for this book. Is that fair? Should I go into this with the high expectations that I have? Probably not. But, I do… so let’s move on.

Chapter 1 is titled “Blogging for Money” and is an overview of what blogging is and what you can learn about more of in the rest of the book. You’ll definitely see the blogging style of writing in this first chapter. Subheadings, bullets, and screenshots are all a blogging norm. This style helps me personally as I read several books every month and like to get through them fast. I frequently skim the material and this style very much helps with that.

Darren and Christ touch on a lot of stuff in this chapter. If you’re not a blogger, don’t know where to start, or never heard of it before this chapter spells it out pretty good. There are two main emphasis I picked up in this chapter.

1.) Blogging is a website but in order to profit from it there must be value. The authors write, “the key thing is that readers get value out of it. Anyone who has been reading blogs for a while, though, will know there is more to blogging than just publising any old website.” I think that’s a major emphasis that can’t be taken lightly, especially if you’re blogging for money.

2.) Blogging is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Darren and Chris really want to make this clear. I have read several posts on ProBlogger.net about this very topic. Again, the authors point out that, “You do not just become a professional blogger overnight any more than you just instantly become a professional golfer.”

Two very strong points that prove to me that this book isn’t just about selling books. It’s about getting real information out to those that are serious about blogging for money.

Blogging monetization and other methods explained

The rest of Chapter 1 touches on several topics surrounding how how monetize your blog, different definitions, RSS and email, and what blogging strategies are available. While I won’t go into them here in this review (you’ll have to buy the book), I will say that Darren and Chris did a great job giving clear and concise explanations.

All in all, a great chapter. One that beginner, and even veteran, bloggers will find good information in. So far, my expectations are being met. Not just in the information, but in the overall “heart” of the book. I hope it continues.