WordPress For Dummies 3rd Edition available

This week, we saw the release of the MUCH anticipated version 3.0 of WordPress. I’ve been following along with the 3.0 development since December, and it is a hawt release, to say the least! Matter of fact, this very site has been running 3.0 since December, starting with the very first Alpha and upgraded each day to the latest nightly build through all the Betas and Release Candidates and today, I’m happy to say, it is running the final release version of 3.0.  I have to hand it to the development team – - all of the committers and contributors – this release is smokin’!  Kudos devs!

(Been waiting, and waiting for this new release  – - now I can finally redesign this site.  It needs it BADLY!)

Aside from LOVE loving this release and all the great new features, I’ve had to keep a close eye on development in order to finish writing the THIRD edition of WordPress For Dummies! I finished it a few weeks ago and as you read this, it should be whizzing its way through final production . . . then print!

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.

While you’re at it, you may also want to nab a copy of my other 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 – check it out! (don’t forget about my FREE BuddyPress Webinar on June 23rd that I announced last week!)

I also started a new e-mail newsletter that you may want to check out (click the link, or you can fill out the sign up form beneath this post, or over in my right sidebar).   When you sign up for it, you will receive 2 weeks of free, daily WordPress tips written by me as a way of saying THANKS for reading!  I also send out regular announcements on new projects, book releases, public/speaking appearances and different specials that I run for WordPress design and consulting over at my business web site, E.Webscapes.  Give it a shot – sign up today – -  get 2 weeks of free WordPress tips and let me know how you like them!  My daily tips cover fun, practical and useful information on using WordPress.

What’s next now that WordPress For Dummies, 3rd Edition is finished??  If you know me well enough, you know that I always, always have a fun new project up my sleeve just WAITING for one project to complete so I can move on to the next one.  I DO have something that has been in the works for several months that is just now getting rocking and rolling and I’m really excited to be able to announce it.  BUT, I’m not announcing it today… in this post (sorry!).

There is a reason I’ve held on to the information this long and have recently been giving the ‘go ahead’ to announce it publicly.  My good friend, Jeff Chandler, runs a pretty popular and highly trafficked, and very informative WordPress web site over at WP Tavern and he also does a weekly WordPress radio show on Saturdays at 2pm EST (Jeff also has an excellent forum on his site with an available VIP membership – - the forum is a very valuable source of information all about WordPress – check it out!)

At WordCamp Raleigh, I was teasing Jeff a bit with some minor details of this new project and he wanted me to tell him so bad – but I couldn’t, not at that time.  But I did promise him that when I was able to announce it – I would do it, first, on his radio show.  I keep my promises!

SO – tomorrow … Saturday, June 19, 2010 … at 2pm EST I will be on Jeff’s WordPress Weekly radio show – - along with 4 other people who are collaborating with me on this project, to announce my latest project coming down the pike that I think will be of great interest and benefit to the WordPress community.  If I’ve piqued your interest – - drop by the show and join us! We’ll also be talking a bit about WordCamp Chicago – - a little WordPress weekend conference that I organized in Chicago, Illinois and was attended by 500 WordPress peeps!  It was a great success – just haven’t had a chance (read: the time) to post about it – - but plan to soon, complete with LOTS of photos!

That is all.