Free Ebook: The Zen Of Blogging

February 24th, 2008

Zen garden
Photo by Clearly Ambiguous

Ladies and gentlemen, today I’m very happy to announce the release of my first ebook, The Zen of Blogging. It’s completely free, with no affiliate links or email opt-in.

This is the story of an aspiring blogger who sets out on a journey to discover the secrets of blogging. What will he find at the top of Mount Blogmore? Will he learn how to become a great blogger, or will he get his head cut off? You’ll have to read to find out!

From page 2:

If you’re into Zen and you’re into blogging, read and share this ebook.
If you’re into Zen but you’re not into blogging, share this ebook.
If you’re not into Zen but you’re into blogging, read this ebook.
If you’re not into Zen and you’re not into blogging, read it twice.

Download your free copy of The Zen of Blogging, and be sure not to skip ahead to the end! (Also be sure not to give away too much in the comments below.)

Table of contents:

The Zen of Blogging 1
What is the Sound of One Hand Clapping? 2
Table of Contents 3
Up the Mountain 4
Day 1: Getting Started 6
Day 2: Choosing a Niche 7
Day 3: Domain Names 8
Day 4: Blogging Platforms 9
Day 5: Themes 10
Day 6: Plugins 11
Day 7: Blogging Voices 12
Day 8: Posting Frequency 13
Day 9: Post Length 14
Day 10: Images 15
Day 11: Monetization 16
Day 12: Comment Management 17
Day 13: Guest Posting 18
Day 14: Social Media 19
The Last Day 20
Down the Mountain 22
Acknowledgements 23
Final Words 23
About the Author 23

Versions available in other languages:

Дзен и Путь Блоггера (Russian translation by Олег Сатов)
Das Zen des Bloggens (German translation by Jan Tißler)

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63 Responses to “Free Ebook: The Zen Of Blogging”

  1. Barbara Says:

    Hi Hunter.

    What a phenomenal ebook. You are definitely meant to be a writer.

    I loved the story, and how it held my interest, all the way to the end. It was well written, captivating, and contained tons of valuable information for anyone interested in blogging, or anyone who questions what make a good blog.

    Another thumbs up to you! :)
    Barbara’s last blog post..Blogger Exposes Herself - Traffic Soars

  2. CatherineL Says:

    Hi Hunter - what a great idea. I’m sure this ebook will be useful to many new bloggers and I’ll make sure I let people know about it. Catherine

    CatherineL’s last blog post..11 Star Quality Customer Service Tips

  3. Hunter Nuttall Says:

    Thanks, ladies. I’m glad to have some positive feedback right off the bat from two of my regulars!

  4. Amir | Passion-Based Learning Says:

    Just discovered your blog through Scott Young’s. Nice, I’ll download your ebook! :)

  5. sterling | bizlift Says:

    Hunter, I wish I had this book a month ago when I first launched a blog. Glad to have it now.

    I love the Mount Blogmore story with the old Master. Fun and entertaining way to present the information.

    Just curious, do you practice zazen?

    thank you much for the free eBook!

  6. Ian Denny Says:

    Hunter,

    I’ve been taking a break from blogging. I had a little mountain climbing challenge. Forgot to bring rations so went back to base camp to stock up.

    Happily though, I’ve spent an enjoyable few minutes reading and digesting an excellent foray into a world I didn’t really know I was in.

    Replete with wisdom, I have shared it because in case the odd person somehow thinks I’ve changed the habit of a lifetime and picked up some wisdom too.

    So thanks for giving me a glimmer of a chance of being seen as wise.

    Unless they visit my blog and dispel that temporary illusion.

    Ian Denny’s last blog post..Ordinary People Taste Ubericious Small Business Success: My 3 Tips

  7. Hunter Nuttall Says:

    @ Amir, thanks for stopping by. I just discovered Scott Young’s blog the other day, and he’s certainly wise beyond his years. Passion-based learning…now there’s a nice concept!

    @ Sterling, that’s funny that you mention zazen. I just heard about it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. No, I haven’t tried it yet, although I’m starting to learn about Zen, and I’m attempting lucid dreaming. Glad you liked the ebook!

    @ Ian, sometimes it’s tempting to use up all our food and oxygen tanks before we even start climbing. But in your case I think you’ve been up and down the mountain several times. Taking an occasional break can be very helpful. It lets you build up the courage to endure comments like those you received on your left-handed blogger post!

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  10. Naomi Dunford Says:

    Utterly and inimitably perfect.

  11. Hunter Nuttall Says:

    Wow Naomi, those are the best four words I’ve heard in a long time!

  12. domin mercier Says:

    I’m agree with the comment of Naomi Dunford. Very good e-book, and for free.

    Domin

  13. Hunter Nuttall Says:

    Hi, Domin. Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for the compliment.

    I see that your latest post is a collection of StumbleUpon articles, which just happens to be exactly what I need right now!

  14. The Zen Of Blogging Says:

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  15. Harmony Says:

    WOW! Great read. You told the story of my experience in looking for the balance in all there is to “think about” while I have a still mind in the moment. Cudos! This is easy to recommend!
    Harmony

    Harmony’s last blog post..Connecting In the Blogosphere

  16. Aaron Says:

    Hi Hunter

    I just read you e-book! Very well written!

    I have just started a new blog, and many of the questions I had in mind were addressed by the Old Master :)

    Especially the answers to questions on
    - posting frequency &
    - blogging on popular topics

    Aaron’s last blog post..The Four Pillars of Success

  17. Neath Says:

    Excellent! “There is no blog”. Gotta love it!

    Neath’s last blog post..Lost Gloves

  18. There is no blog…. — Full Time Blogger Says:

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  19. Keiron Says:

    I really enjoyed this book this morning over my coffee, there are a lot of bloggers who could benefit from a trip up the mountain!!

    Keiron’s last blog post..There is no blog….

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  21. samuro Says:

    sound likes an interesting ebook. I just download it. thanks :)
    samuro’s last blog post..The main players in Forex Market

  22. Katy Says:

    Wow, thank-you for writing such a wonderful book - and for free too! :)
    Katy’s last blog post..Ebay one of the best websites? I don’t think so

  23. om Says:

    Didnt that “old man” tell you that you are a great writer?
    And one more thing you surely were in heaven at that time coz my “vista with IE7″ crashed twice today.

    om’s last blog post..Accepting Payments Online: An ECommerce Web Site Overview

  24. om Says:

    GREAT!!! you were dreaming(i should’ve guessed.. )
    Hey, you had very few questions and i have too many.Will you answer few of my questions as you have mentioned that you are ready to play the old man for new bloggers like me.

    om’s last blog post..Accepting Payments Online: An ECommerce Web Site Overview

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  29. Hunter Nuttall Says:

    Wow, 13 comments and trackbacks in one day, all from a mention on ProBlogger. I want to thank everyone who took the time to read my ebook, write a post about it, or leave a comment.

    A number of people have emailed me asking for blogging advice. The best advice I can offer a new blogger is to subscribe to Blogging Without A Blog. It’s very newbie-friendly and community focused, and Barbara takes the time to reply to every comment. This is where I found most of my early supporters, and I still comment on just about every post on that blog.

    Again, thanks to all my new visitors, and I hope you’ll consider sticking around!

  30. OneMinutePost Says:

    Thank you for this great uplifting ebook! It definitely motivated me to write more often in my blog.

    OneMinutePost’s last blog post..Get Some Laugh

  31. Barbara Swafford Says:

    Hi Hunter,

    Congratulations on being showcased on Problogger. Such a great accomplishment.

    Thank you for the referral.

    And yes, anyone looking for help with blogging is always welcome on my site.

    Barbara Swafford’s last blog post..Why Pay For It, You Can Get It For Free

  32. Nantucket Art Says:

    Thanks so much - well written, informative, thought-provoking.. and FREE!!

    Nantucket Art’s last blog post..Nantucket Art Technorati

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  37. Harmony Says:

    Hi Hunter,
    Even though my blog is more about Golden Zen than about blogging, I know a lot of bloggers do and will drop by, and I am happy to offer your Ebook as a reference. I have referenced the book on my site as per instructions. :-)
    Harmony

    Harmony’s last blog post..When The Student Is Ready The Teacher Appears

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  39. Robin Says:

    I really enjoyed that. Couldn’t stop laughing when I got to the Windoze bit. Thanks.

    Robin’s last blog post..Moments

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  48. Hunter Nuttall Says:

    @ OneMinutePost, glad you found it motivating. Sometimes a little boost is all we need.

    @ Barbara, that’s what’s great about your site–everyone feels welcome there.

    @ Nantucket Art, you can’t beat free, can you? Thanks for reading.

    @ Harmony, thanks for referencing my ebook on your blog. Your readers should appreciate that you’re making an effort to provide some extra value for them.

    @ Robin, a few people have commented on the Windows part here, on ProBlogger, and on other blogs. It seems a lot of people are having trouble with Vista!

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  51. XiongShui Says:

    Thank you, for writing this, it’s a very nice little book, so I posted the link to the german- translated- version on my site. (Also your site and the original- version.)

  52. Hunter Nuttall Says:

    Thanks, XiongShui. I tried to translate your German with Babel Fish, but it didn’t do so well. Anyway, I’m sure what you said was nice!

  53. XiongShui Says:

    So, I’ll give you an better translating:

    “On UPLOAD I found a PDF- Book (24 sites). The question is: “How to be an excellent Blogger”.

    So tells Hunter Nuttal, on a very “zennish” kind to his followers, to go the way to be it. But naturally they must find out it by itself. Simplificated: “Don’t make you worry, sweethart” (H.P. Kerkeling). But this wouldn’t be so nice and instructively.

    Very important for all those, who aren’t sure, what to do about “blogging”.

    You may take a lot of delight, when reading it!

    German translating: Jan Tißler, many thanks therefore.

  54. Hunter Nuttall Says:

    Ah yes XiongShui, that’s much better. Glad it was zennish!

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  56. Joe Cole Says:

    Thanks for sharing this great ebook :-)
    Joe Cole’s last blog post..deltawebhosting.com

  57. Hunter Nuttall Says:

    Glad you liked it, Joe!

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  62. Daniel Richard | WE Says:

    Gosh. Now then I found this book!

    Downloaded, and would read it after my dinner. :)

    Thanks Hunter for sharing this!

  63. Hunter Nuttall Says:

    Hey Daniel, nice to see you found it. It’s good, but it’s not worth rushing through dinner!

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