Blogging a Book

I just love stealing entries from Georganna. She is like, you know, so cool. (I say this in case she ever brings up copyright issues :D)

Anyway, her latest entry brings up a topic, with an ideal example, about blogging your way to a book: From Blog to Book in 90 Days or Less. Their website looks spiffy, mentioning power words like ‘solo-preneurs’, ‘exclusive’ and ‘invitation’.

What it is: You get the opportunity to participate in their class, although they say it is not a class, but lessons.
How: Lessons are provided via entries in a private blog.
Cost:

$299 gets you “access to materials, private learning blog, The Build a Better Blog System ebook, invitation to group coaching calls and beta testing of book publishing software” (Georganna is particularly interested in that word: beta)
$499 “includes all of above plus 1 hour private coaching call with Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman to evaluate your idea, get feedback and/or brainstorm on marketing and promotional ideas.”
$799 “includes all of above plus two 30 minute coaching sessions, with either Patsi or Denise, and includes the Basic Level Blog set up services.” Note: This whopping fee does NOT include the cost of the Typepad blogging service.

In comparison:

$850 residency via NCWriters.org with Pat Schneider. It includes a one day workshop with banquet, 4 days of working with Ms. Schneider in a small group of 15, and includes room and board for those 4 days. (by the way, anyone want to float me a loan???)
$70-120: various full day workshops via NCWriters.org with the instructor present, not on the phone
$179-579: various online workshops via Writer’s Digest and a wide variety of topics.
$70-130: various workshops via The Writers Workshop of Asheville.

Anyway, the concept with the From Blog to Book theory is that you use your blog as a way to organize your thoughts and ideas so that when you are done, you have a book that you then publish yourself.

Georganna puts it much more betterer:

Blogging itself is being perverted by hucksters who directly take advantage of writers eager for bylines or just to see their work in print. Beware of “opportunities” to “participate” in blogs with your “contributions” when the blogs also carry advertising from which you don’t benefit. This is the electronic version of a new magazine that pays in copies, or the anthology of “voices” that offers you a “discount” on purchases.