SUBJECT: 3.5/5
WRITING STYLE: 3/5
RESEARCH: 3/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3/5
My Musings
I have been a blogger for almost six years of my life but I have to admit this – I have never ever tried to read a book about blogging.
When an opportunity presented itself for me to read and review this book, I gladly picked it up because there was a lot that I wanted to learn from reading such a book.
Read on to know more about my thoughts on Anuj Tikku’s Blogging for Gold.
What is the book all about and what to expect from it?
Blogging for Gold is a book meant for bloggers. This book will be appreciated by anyone who runs a blog, anybody who aspires to be a blogger or anyone who has blogged in the past but given up on this wonderful hobby.
The book takes you through the very basics of blogging which more often than not aren’t that well known to a lot of bloggers.
Most people (me included) just end up “getting into blogging” without actually going through the planning and the strategizing phase. They fail to ponder on the major aspects of this profession.
Blogging for Gold takes you through some fundamental questions that must be answered and worked upon before one can even start a blog.
Down the journey, it also takes you through everything that you need to know about blogging and its many possibilities, its challenges, its future, marketing, advertising etc.
Who can read it?
Blogging for Gold: A to Z of Blogging can be read by anyone who has a working knowledge of English.
In other words, don’t worry if you are just a beginner level reader, the simple language and an easy manner of writing makes this book readable for almost every category of reader.
The author’s writing style
Anuj Tikku writes in an easy breezy manner while covering a wide variety of topics on blogging.
The fact that he tempers this basic level course with a good deal of personal experiences is something that makes this book an interesting read.
He also gets into details about the finances and costs involved in the various aspects of blogging; something that will be of immense value to a beginner.
Though I am not an expert of books on blogging, I firmly believe that just like the book’s tagline says, the book very aptly covers the “A to Z of Blogging”.
Relevant to all bloggers
Be it a travel blogger, or a lifestyle blogger, or even a food blogger – this book has lessons, practical tips and some serious advice for anyone with a blog. The author himself uses a lot of examples quoting his own travel blog “Tikku’s Travelthon” which supplements the text and drives home the points.
But overall, this book has something to offer to every type of blogger and that’s just awesome!
The research and experience
There is some research that has gone into writing Blogging for Gold but mostly the author makes use of personal experiences while penning the chapters of this book.
It isn’t the kind of book that throws a whole bunch of statistics your way but the one that drives home the points using personal wisdom and experiences.
What I liked?
The one thing that makes this book a good read is a basic introduction that it gives about blogging. This book can be read by any beginner level reader who doesn’t have any idea of blogging.
Not only it will give one a general idea about blogging but also help one in putting down a lot of points for further research, planning and execution.
What I did not like?
The book places a good deal of emphasis on the importance of grammar and spell check in a blog post yet there are places in this book where the editing is a bit off.
This surely was the biggest concern for me. What I also did not like was the fact that a lot of content in this book gets repetitive as the pages roll by.
While the initial chapters were really good, the latter part of the book tells you the same thing albeit in different words and under different sub-headings.
Also, there were some portions of the book that were not entirely concerned with blogging but nevertheless made for an informative read. This wasn’t such a big issue for me but hey! I’ve got to tell this to my readers, right?
Finally, as an experienced blogger, I think the book doesn’t have a lot to offer to professional bloggers.
In other words, Blogging for Gold will not appeal to readers who already know a good deal about blogging or are experienced bloggers themselves.
It all boils down to the entertainment quotient
The book is a good read for a specific category of bloggers i.e. beginners. Using a simple language and an easy breezy manner of writing, the author tells us a lot about blogging and its many possibilities.
Unlike what one would think, Blogging for Gold is a book that is entertaining; interesting as it is because of a lot of personal stories and experiences from the author’s own life as a blogger.
Pick up the book
- If you are either already a blogger or thinking of being one.
- If you need a basic and beginner level course in blogging.
- If you aren’t much of a reader but nevertheless want to know at least something about blogging.
Skip the book
- If blogging doesn’t concern you.
- If you have already consumed a good number of books on the subject.
- If you are looking for a detailed, in-depth and meticulously researched book on the subject.
Can’t wait to read it? Buy a copy of Blogging for Gold using the link below.
