A rather patronizing attitude to have
which doesn't reflect very well on you.

10 months, 1 week ago byonDisqus

Do Bloggers Make Good Authors? via @dannybrown http://chilp.it/?3e7296

10 months, 1 week ago byelizabethsosnow onTwitter

I first read Trust Agents (via @csmbookclub) and then read Chris' blog, so I may not be the right person to speak, but I liked the blog better because of the conversation. But if challenged to comment on the "newness" of the message, I'd say that following Chris' writing is very similar to let's say following Suze Orman. She has been broadcasting the same set of financial wisdom messages since 1997. She had 6 consecutive NYT Best Sellers' List books despite the fairly repetitive messages. She stays relevant and engaging regardless of channel or point in time.
So I have to agree with @edwardboches that it's Chris and Julien's ability to "mobilize" that's attractive here, regardless of whether it's a new or old message via book or blog. The book is just part of their larger conversation IMO. ... See all content Hide content

10 months, 1 week ago byMana onDisqus

I can't help but think of the cat when you mention Garfield, Edward. ;-)
That's one of Chris's strengths, the community loyalty and support. And the great thing about Trust Agents is that it shows how to foster that support and loyalty. Has Chris's readers already learned about that? Quite possibly. Is there more to learn from the book? More than likely (there were a couple of moments that related to a new "post" for me).
It'll be interesting to see what the follow-up will be like. When we chatted on BlogTalk Radio, Chris mentioned that the next one will aim to get people running their own business using (and building on) the early promise of Trust Agents - should be a worthwhile read.
Thanks for sharing some great views, and nice collection of authors name-checked there. ... See all content Hide content

10 months, 1 week ago byDanny Brown onDisqus

Danny:
Good question and few would dare to ask. I read Trust Agents. There is some truly useful information in it, and just like Chris, it's authentic, honest and from the heart. Is he a good writer? He's no Malcolm Gladwell. But then, who is. Much of it was rehashed, but what's wrong with that? For some people, especially those new to the space, this is still fresh, or in its very best cases, nuggets of wisdom. It's easy to pass on to people you want to educate if they aren't blog readers. So it has value to some. There are many better book on similar subjects out there: Friedman, Shirky, even Garfield. All three of them are real writers, not simply bloggers. Then again, they're not Chris Brogan. Of course the real story here is the value of community in marketing your book or product. This book is doing as well as it's doing not just because of the content, but because of Chris's knowledge and expertise at building and mobilizing his community. Kudos for that, too. ... See all content Hide content

10 months, 1 week ago byedwardboches onDisqus

David Meerman Scott is another author who had a blog long before the book. I know the way the book is put together it is easy to use and to look things up. I haven't read World Wide Rave yet but I do enjoy the way he put this together.
I haven't been reading blogs nearly long enough to notice the difference. I think the conversation style is great. I am getting Trust Agents in the mail and I am a huge supporter of Chris Brogan. I will find out if it is just like his blog.
Books are great for reference and even if you do subscribe to the blog. Having a book at your finger tips is a great resource. ... See all content Hide content

10 months, 1 week ago byJamie Favreau onDisqus

Danny,
I think this is a great question. I'm a quarter through Trust Agents and just received Brian Solis' latest book in the mail. Considering I don't get the time to read even half of the content they post of their blogs, I'm confident I'll come away with some great information I wouldn't proactively think to search their archives for. My fingers are crossed, and I'll let you know!
Rachel Kay ... See all content Hide content

10 months, 2 weeks ago byonDisqus

RT @DannyBrown Do Bloggers Make Good Authors? | danny brown http://bit.ly/17RnFk. Good points.

10 months, 2 weeks ago byAlainJourdier onTwitter

http://dannybrown.me/2009... ::: http://www.WhatTheyDontTeachYo... :::

10 months, 2 weeks ago byLarry Chiang onFriendfeed

There's really no point in buying how-to books anymore, because the Web's got all the info you need. However, for the InterNewbs, a bounded blueprint on how to do something suits them best.

10 months, 2 weeks ago byBrad_Williamson onDisqus

RT @DannyBrown - Do Bloggers Make Good Authors? --> http://bit.ly/17RnFk (I'm a few days late, but interesting conversation here!)

10 months, 2 weeks ago byryanstephens onTwitter

Do bloggers make good authors? http://bit.ly/Ttdzb via @DannyBrown

10 months, 2 weeks ago bydrewmaniac onTwitter

Do Bloggers Make Good Authors? http://ff.im/-8i10D

10 months, 2 weeks ago byrachelvelarde onTwitter

Do Bloggers Make Good Authors? | danny brown http://bit.ly/17RnFk

10 months, 2 weeks ago byfrankdickinson onTwitter

RT @DannyBrown Do Bloggers Make Good Authors? http://bit.ly/17RnFk (Me: Best blog post I've read in months.)

10 months, 2 weeks ago byJimconnolly onTwitter

Do Bloggers Make Good Authors? http://ff.im/-8gGjN

10 months, 2 weeks ago byLiviuLica onTwitter

There is some cross-over, but not much. You would be surprised.

10 months, 2 weeks ago bymitchjoel onDisqus

RT @DannyBrown Do Bloggers Make Good Authors? | danny brown http://bit.ly/17RnFk Great topic!

10 months, 2 weeks ago byHighTalk onTwitter

Have to agree with you Mich, I don't believe a good blogger necessarily makes a good author. They are all their own media. I'm a journalist as well. When I first became a blogger it was hard to make that different than the way I wrote for news. Then I became a columnist, then tried blogging again but with the attitude of "I'm going to be me in my blog" and that went over well. So then I was asked by my editors why don't you write like that in the publication?
I have a feeling the same goes if you started out as a blogger, there might be some difficulty translating that into an entire book, unless you are republishing blog posts, which is different and thereby really not offering much new than what's been on your blog. ... See all content Hide content

10 months, 2 weeks ago byBeach Betty PR onDisqus

I find a lot of people who say they read the book, who actually didn't. That's pretty funny when you bust them in a conversation, but you have to let it slide and not bring it up.

10 months, 2 weeks ago byonDisqus

I think there's a possibility that there's a blogger out there that doesn't translate well into an author but had the support of his/her community, which helped gain recognition for the book. And though I don't know the ins and outs of this industry, I'm assuming that on the flip, even with the help of their community, an 'ok' book would get touted as such in the long-run - regardless of that community's help. ... See all content Hide content

10 months, 2 weeks ago bySonny Gill onDisqus

Love the fact you used "wonks", Geoff :)
How did you find the audience you're after? As you mention, it's maybe not for your regular guys - did you find they helped reach the folks you thought would benefit more, or did you find you had to change tact altogether? ... See all content Hide content

10 months, 2 weeks ago byDanny Brown onDisqus

So would it possibly be that bloggers may make great promotional authors (while not necessarily being great authors, per se)? Again, not counting the guys in the post - but say there's an awesome blogger who hasn't transferred well to print. Does his/her community outreach and promotional skills/leverage then turn that into a big seller, regardless of quality? Which then makes them appear a great author? ... See all content Hide content

10 months, 2 weeks ago byDanny Brown onDisqus

That's probably one of the best things we can do, Doug. I know I've loaned Trust Agents to a few folk I know would really benefit from the road maps in it, and I can think of about twenty people right now that Mitch's book would be perfect for.
And yes, I agree - there are always tidbits that even the most "hardcore subscribrer" to these guys can learn. ... See all content Hide content

10 months, 2 weeks ago byDanny Brown onDisqus

That's a great question Teresa! Because we "know" the people mentioned here, perhaps we would be more excited to see what could be different from the content that we already subscribe to. Take Chris, for example - his newsletter is separate from his blog, so it becomes twice as valuable.
Would Trust Agents work the same if it had been more "secretive"? Perhaps little teasers here and there to say, "This is a new approach"? It'd be interesting to go back and run a parallel approach.
One thing's for sure - it's interesting to watch how the transition is being made from the short, punchy 500 word pieces to the several thousand per chapter versions. I wonder how we'll be looking at book promotions, writing, etc, in a year from now? ... See all content Hide content

10 months, 2 weeks ago byDanny Brown onDisqus