Books

I have been working with the WordPress software since 2003 – and it’s been a long, exciting and fun road! In 2006, I was contacted by an editor at Wiley Publishing about my interest to write a book on WordPress, since they recognized that WordPress was a very popular publishing platform (it’s actually THE most popular, but I won’t argue semantics!).

I have since published 4 books with Wiley Publishing, and more are coming on the way.

My first is the WordPress For Dummies title — the first edition was published in March 2007, the second edition in February 2009 and the third edition published in August 2010. Each new edition of the book is almost a complete re-write, considering the fast-past development of the WordPress software.

WordPress For Dummies, 3rd Edition (Wiley Pub.) is now available on Amazon.com for pre-order.  This edition of the book was, almost, completely re-written and covers all the basics about the WordPress platform – including all the great new features that version 3.0 brings to its users, including how to set up and use the new Multi Site features so you can run more than one blog or web site on ONE installation of the WordPress software, how to use the custom menu feature to build and create your own custom navigation menus, a comprehensive look at the NEW default WordPress theme called Twenty Ten, using custom post types to create new ways to present different types of content – – as well as the rest of the information you’ve come to expect from WordPress For Dummies – – getting YOU up and running on your own WordPress powered web site … making it easy to understand so you can concentrate on the important stuff, like your content and your readers!  Reserve your copy today to make sure you’re getting the most up-to-date information and resource that only a For Dummies book can give you. read more »

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My second title with Wiley Publishing is BuddyPress For Dummies, published in January 2010. BuddyPress is a suite of plugins for the WordPress software that turn your existing WordPress powered site into a full featured social community – - all under your own domain!

Check out a copy of my book BuddyPress For Dummies, which takes you through all of the information you need to know about setting up the suite of plugins for WordPress called BuddyPress.  My book takes you through deciding if BuddyPress is right for you and your web site, how to install and set it up and how to use all it’s fantastic features that allow you to run a fully functional and full-featured social community on your own domain!  Did you know that you can run BuddyPress on a regular installation of WordPress?  It used to be that you were required to use the Multi User (now known as Multi Site) version of WordPress – – but you CAN set it up on your regular WordPress.org installation and, with 3.0, you don’t even have to use the Multi Site features.  My book takes you through it. read more »

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I have other titles in the works through Wiley Publishing right now:

• WordPress All in One Desk Reference – this is a HUGE and comprehensive desk reference for WordPress, written by myself, and 4 other authors collaborating with me:  Cory Miller, Andrea Rennick, Kevin Palmer and Michael Torbert. The WordPress All In One Desk Reference is a 900+ page reference manual that takes the reader through every step of the WordPress software from the user experience, design concepts, plugin development, multi site features, SEO, social media integration and more!  It is due to be out on the shelves early Spring 2011.
• WordPress Web Design For Dummies -This one is so new, I haven’t even posted about it yet, but plan to as soon as it matures a bit more in my mind.  I signed this contract in July 2010 and this book is due out early Spring 2010.  It covers design concepts for WordPress from CSS, HTML, PHP, WordPress themes and template design, as well as web and graphic design theories covering typography, color, layout and more.  Keep your eye out for more news up and coming on this one!