The Everything Blogging Book is a great starter source for newbie bloggers looking to simply set up and run a blog. There is a TON of useful info to be mined here about what a blog is, who is out there blogging, and why one might build their online journal.

The author discusses such deeper points as establishing your blogging voice/persona, identifying your market and determining your blogging goals, as well as the nuts and bolts of archiving posts, selecting blog hosts and designing layout.

Types of blogs are discussed in detail: political/pundit blogs; health and wellness blogs; blogs for writers and artists; family journals and personal diaries. A lot of attention is paid to how to wring the most enjoyment as possible from your blogging efforts.

Chapter titles:

1. Welcome to Blogging
2. Blogs as Useful Tools
3. Popular Blog Topics
4. Who is Blogging?
5. Why Build a Blog
6. Understanding Online Publishing
7. Planning Your Blog
8. Finding Your Blog Host
9 Deciding on a Blog Host
10. Starting Your Blog
11. Blog Designs
12. Blog Content Development
13. Building Blog Communities
14. Popular Blog Tools
15. Bloggers Beware (disclaimers, copyright)
16. Secrets of Successful Blogs
17. Outside the Blog Box (art,craft and photography blogs, group blogs, multimedia blogs)
18. Blogging Got Business
19. Marketing Your Blog
20. Maintaining Your Blog
21. Measuring Blog Traffic
22. Beyond the Blog (podcasting, vlogging, hand held and mobile blogging)
23. Impact of Blogging (society and the Internet)

This book in particular seems specifically aimed at the personal blogger, not the would-be professional. Some bare bones monetizing info is provided in Chapter 18 (Blogging for Business). While the chapter won’t make anyone rich, it’s a start to introduce small or home businesses to basic online selling principles.

Well recommended for the average person wanting a one stop, complete blogging resource. Not for the aspiring professional blogger - there are other blogging books for that demographic.