Comm wastes very little time getting right to the important stuff. In the first chapter, he explains the basic steps to setting up your website from choosing a domain to brief coverage of search engine optimization (SEO). He explains that the book is not a course on constructing a website, so he spends no more than six pages on these very brief descriptions.

If you are a new web developer, you will want to go directly from chapter one to the fourteenth chapter. In chapter fourteen, Comm covers some important issues to consider before applying for your Adsense account. After reading this chapter, you can then head back to chapter two.

The second chapter, “How to ‘Tweak’ Your Ads to Make Them ‘Click’” jumps right into making Adsense work for you. Comm, speaking from his own personal experience of making as much as $600 a day from Adsense, helps the reader understand how to tweak Adsense ads to get the clicks. And with Adsense, clicks = money!

Joel Comm spends much of his time helping the reader understand the importance of ad placement and design to maximize visibility of the ads. Comm points out that clicks occur most on ads that blend well with the overall design of the website. A good deal of time is spent on explaining how to match the ads to the color and style of your website. I particularly like the example web pages that Comm uses throughout the book to demonstrate what he is teaching. You will find multiple screen shots of example websites.

Comm does a great job of stressing the value of tracking and testing all aspects of your Adsense experience. He explains the optimum way to use Adsense channels to know which ads receive clicks, and when. This information allows you to make changes to placement and design, test these changes, and understand what works best.

Near the end of the book, Comm presents some other resources to monetize your blog besides Adsense. He also dedicates a chapter to basic information for driving traffic to your site. Finally, Comm wraps it all up with some great case examples and a free bonus offer to anyone buying the book. With purchase of the book, you receive

1. A 30-page digital document with additional case examples of how to optimize Adsense,
2. Access to a members-only Adsense resource page, and
3. A free subscription to Joel Comm’s Adsense Secrets Newsletter.

My opinion of The Adsense Code by Joel Comm:

This book is an excellent tutorial on setting up and maximizing your Adsense revenue. The descriptions and screen shots are easy to follow. Comm’s knowledge comes from his personal success with the Adsense program. My only concern is that readers need to understand that Comm’s SEO and web traffic information is brief and only an introduction to those topics. Bottom line: If you are going to use Adsense, this book is worth reading.  You can probably find a copy at your library or local used book store.

Oh, and did I mention how much I love the cover?

[UPDATE: Because of a recent comment left by a friend regarding how the author of this book stiffed him on a business deal, I am no longer suggesting that you purchase this book.  I have removed all links to purchase the book.  I still, however, strongly recommend getting the book at the library or through a used book store if you are at all interested in Adsense advertising.]

Before I share my list of favorites with you, let me say that not all of these blogs focus entirely on blogging. Several cover the broadly covered “making money online” topics and some post about a variety of other topics as well. My very loose criteria for this list is that the blog must regularly post about blogging or topics important to bloggers. The only other criteria was that the blog had to have been around for less then one year. This is a list of best NEW blogs on blogging, not just a list of the best blogs. So let’s get started…

Search for Blogging – Mert Erkal from Turkey is looking to leave his 9-5 marketing job and join the very small world of self-supporting bloggers. Mert shares with his readers his own thoughts on blogging and a few updates on his own progress toward becoming a full-time blogger. Click on the articles tab and you will find some of the best material available on this site. This blog has been around for just under a year. Recommended Reading: How to Track Your Keywords with HitTail.

Better Blogging for Bloggers – This very new blog is an easy addition to the list. Despite the couple design bugs, this blog is all about content. I highly recommend dropping by Liane’s blog and reading some great advice for beginning and seasoned bloggers. By the way, you may be surprised to find that this blog is hosted on a Google Blogspot site since the theme has been highly customized. Recommended Reading: Make Your Posts More Readable for Your Readers and See the Wonders Yourself.

Blogging Resources – Here’s another blog that’s been around for just a few months but is already off to a great start. The theme is one of my favorite free themes, the WP Premium Theme by WP Remix (Blogger Version). The author, Pradeep, demonstrates solid Internet experience with posts on topics such as whitehat SEO and RSS feed building. Recommended Reading: How to Improve Your Site’s Google Page Ranking and What Not to Do to Improve Your Site’s Google Page Ranking.

JT Pratt’s Blogging Mistakes – How can you not like a blog that teaches you blogging by sharing the blogger’s own blunders? Well, if JT has made some blogging errors, poor content is not one of them. I really like the detailed advice and recommendations that JT gives on everything from building a BANs website to hacking WordPress. The blog does seem a bit cluttered with lots of ads and hard to read post headings, but this is definitely a blog you should check out. Recommended Reading: 5 Key Google Analytics to Watch for Blog Progress.

Butterfly Media Corporate Blog – This is a business blog that covers just about everything related to web media publishing. The information is top quality with some great resources and brief tutorials. This is also one of the best looking blogs on this list; a clean design with great navigation and minimal advertising. The blog has been around since last August, and I certainly hope is will be with us for a long time. Recommended Reading: RSS Syndication – A Quick Tutorial.

Blogger Venue – This blog has a little bit of everything. The blog is published using the wonderfully attractive Options Theme by Justin Tadlock and the writing is conversational and interesting. Hugo Santos, the blog owner has done a great job of creating an excellent blog that touches on a variety of topics related to blogging and making money online. Recommended Reading: Bloggers Stealing Bloggers.

Zero And Up – This is one of my favorite new blogs. Zero and Up, written by a chap named Alan, is a wonderful blog with content added almost daily. Most articles are short, but very well written and great for new bloggers. I really like the custom theme that Alan commissioned. Advertising is nicely integrated and don’t distract from the content. This blog was started in February 2008. Recommended Reading: The Blogger Condition.

One Year Millionaire – Okay, I’m not a big fan of the “get rich quick” motif of this site (or others like it), but I have to say, the content is worth reading. I haven’t found any cutting edge opinion or breaking news on the blog, but the posts do make some solid recommendations for bloggers and Internet entrepreneurs. The owner has done a nice job modifying the K2 theme. This is a very new site started in March 2008. Recommended Reading: The Most Common Internet Marketing Mistakes.

BTW, I’m always looking for great new blogs to write about. If you have a new blog, or find one you like, leave me a comment or drop me an email. It doesn’t need to be a blog about blogging. It can be about anything. I will be posting more lists like this one in the future.

[PhotoCredit:Just-Us-3]

WordPress Releases WordPress 2.5 Release Candidate 3 (Hack WordPress) – Okay, it’s just an announcement and a link, but it’s an important announcement for every WordPress blogger out there.

Simple Steps to Improving Quality of Posts (Blogtrepreneur) – Steven Snell lists some great tips for making each of your post a powerful message. This is a list every new blogger should read and remember.

Which Type of Blogger Are You – Leader or Follower (The BlogEntrepreneur) – Copycats beware! Bill is not going to let you get away with just mirroring the great bloggers. His post calls for originality and passion in your blogging, but just replicating the John Chow post.

How to Build Traffic Without Marketing (Entrepreneur’s Journey) – Is it possible to build your blog traffic without active marketing? Yaro Starak says yes, and his article describes how search engine traffic, like that from Google, can be attracted with a healthy supply of blog content.

Another Premium Theme Giveaway (Blog Oh! Blog) – Every new blogger must make that difficult decision of choosing a theme. But what if you would start with a high quality, premium theme for free? Jai Nischal Verma designs some of the best free and premium themes for WordPress, and now he’s giving away another premium theme. To enter, just blog about the contest and be sure there’s a link in the contest comments. In the meantime, take a look at the Trueblogger theme that Jai is giving away.

How a Few Measly Words can Dramatically Improve Your Blog Headline and Content (Copyblogger) – Wow, some great practical advise from Sean D’Souza. Stop struggling with writing your blog headlines and follow Sean’s excellent advice and crafting a powerful title.

20 Types of Pages that Every Blogger Should Consider (ProBlogger) – If you’re not reading ProBlogger, here’s another reason you should start. This post by ProBlogger creater, Darren Rowse, is packed with excellent ideas and recommendations for your blog pages. A must read.

How to Use Forums to Get Blog Traffic (ClickNewz) – If you’ve not been following the 31 day series by Lynn Terry, you should be. This post is #26 in the series on how to become a better blogger (based on the Collis Ta’eed article). Here Lynn provides simple, but effective advice for using online forums to promote your blog.

[PhotoCredit:JarvistFrost]

So, when you can’t find what you need in the book store, what do you do? GOOGLE IT! So I did and look what I found. I have downloaded and read more than 40 eBooks on blogging, Internet marketing and running a website. And there are more. I actually got a 4″ binder to place the better eBooks in for reading and taking notes. Here is a list of the books in my Blogging eBooks binder.

Blog Traffic Made Easy – A 22 page guide to bringing hundreds of targeted visitors to your blog each day. And for you tightwads, don’t worry about money. None of the steps will cost you a dime. BTW, don’t call it an eBook…author John Robinson is not a fan of the word.

Blog Profits Blueprint – The first blogging eBook I read was Yaro Starak’s Blog Profits Blueprint. The book is about making money through blogging, but there are sections about increasing traffic and writing pillar articles that benefit all bloggers. You will have to give Yaro your secret, private, level-5 email address to get the eBook, but don’t worry…I get an email from Yaro only every week or two and the information is usually worth reading. Besides, he always includes an opt-out link at the bottom of the email.

Who’s There? Seth Godin’s Incomplete Guide to Blogs and the New Web – Okay, if you’re asking, who the hell is Seth Godin? Then you really need to read this eBook. Don’t look for step-by-step directions for making a beautiful blog. Seth is a thinker. He understands the web and blogs better than most of us (I’m tryin’ to catch up). In this eBook Seth explains how the web is changing and the role of blogs in the new web. Even though the eBook is already two years old, it will really help you to start looking at your blog differently.

Killer Flagship Content – We have a saying here at Blogging Startup. Well, I have a saying…but if there were others, it would be we. Oh yeah, the saying is…CONTENT IS KING! And if content is king, then Chrig Garrett is the guy that wrote a great eBook about the king. So, if you want to write really great content for your blog, check out Chris’ eBook. You will need to subscribe to his blog or newsletter to get the link, but it’s worth it. If your subscription feed only gives you links to blog posts (like Google’s Homepage) then you won’t get the links, so click here.

How to Develop Money-Making Niche Sites with WordPress – If you are just starting your first blog with the intent to make money, check out this eBook. Caroline give step-by-step instructions with screen shots, so you know exactly what to do. If you’ve been blogging for a while, this guide may be a bit basic. But if you are just getting started, this is a must-read.

Authority Black Book, Version 2.0 for 2008 – There seems to be some correlation between giving up your email address and getting a great eBook in return. Drop by Jack Humphrey’s website to sign up for your free copy of the lengthy, detailed, and extremely informative PDF about generating traffic and winning customers. Don’t worry too much about winning customers, if that’s not your thing. You will find plenty of great tips and resources for getting traffic to your blog.

50 Easy Ways to PROMOTE Your Website – This is a list of 50 promotional strategies for websites and blogs, some easy, some more involved. I strongly recommend downloading a copy of this eBook and finding a few of the promotional ideas that you can apply today. By the way, the website for this Book uses just about every marketing strategy you can think of…including the irritating pop-up window. But the page I’ve linked to has no popup…yet. Email address required.

The Art and Science of Blogger Relations – This may be the oddest addition to my list, because the book is not really about how to blog, but about public relations and blogging. Brian Solis’s detailed and knowledgeable explanation of blogging, public relations, readers and social media is very insightful. I’ve read this one twice and will read it again before the year is over. It give you a look at blogging from another perspective, that of a PR pitchman. To grab a copy of this free 53 page document, visit thinkfreedocs.com by clicking the title link.

Bigshot Blogging – You can always count on Bryan Clark to put out some of the best blogging information on the Internet, and his eBook is no exception. Packed with tons of great blogging advice from getting your blog up and running to promoting it through social media. As an extra bonus, this is probably one of the most attractive eBooks you will find. Bryan did a top notch job and it shows. Email required.

UPDATE (8-5-2009) The original link is now invalid, as Bryan is no longer operating his original website.  Therefore, I’ve changed to link to the ebook file I found online after a bit of searching.  The author is not the same on the cover of the book (no idea why), but it is the same book that Bryan had on his original website.

How to Start a Business Blog – When it comes to teaching others how to find blogging success, Michael Martine is head of the class. This eBook is a unique guide to blogging (really, not just business blogs will benefit) that is organized as a workbook. That’s right. You don’t just read this book, you actually use it to plan, set-up and create a successful blog. All of this for just the cost of subscribing to Remarkablogger, one of my 7 Must Read Blogs for New Bloggers.

WordPress SEO for Beginners – If you like Jai Nischal Verma’s WordPress themes, you’re gonna love his eBook too. This short, but guide to search engine optimization for WordPress bloggers is a great guide to finding more search engine traffic. Learn to tweak your blog for maximum recognition by the search engine crawlers. One afternoon with this eBook, your computer and a cup ‘o joe will provide some great results.

There you have it, hundreds of pages of great information about blogging, web traffic and the new social media. And an advantage about eBook is that the authors can easily update and republish them at little cost. So, make your own blogging notebook by printing out the PDFs, three hole punch them, and place them in a binder. Use tabs to separate the books and carry it with you everywhere you go. I suggest pulling it out during boring meeting, on train rides and when waiting for your circus audition. These are all great reads and well worth your time.

Blogging Startup - (Hey, it’s alphabetical!) Besides being nominated for a Pull-It’s-Ear prize, this is only blog I know that specifically targets new bloggers (although I know a lot of you are old bloggers…yeah, I see you). Be sure to drop by and learn how to get that blog up and find new readers. Recent post worth reading: Should new blogs allow comments?

Copyblogger – A great place to learn how to write inviting content. The posts are frequently guest written by some of the best bloggers online. For example, here’s a recent post worth reading: How to make sure your content never goes naked.

Daily Blog Tips – The title says it all. Visit this blog for regular tips and articles on how to improve your blog. Recent post worth reading: C.R.A.P.: The four principles of sound design.

Dosh Dosh - Considered to be one of the most intelligent blogs on the topic of blogging. The author consistently publishes posts that both educate and challenge web publishers. Reading and practicing what you learn on Dosh Dosh should earn you a PhD in blogging. Recent post worth reading: It’s not just words: The importance of empowering your audience.

Lorelle on WordPress – The best blogging authority on Wordpress, but not all of her articles are relevant only to WordPress users. This is one of the few blogs I would actually pay to read. Lorelle’s posts provide an amazing wealth of information for WordPress users. Recent post worth reading: The real hidden value of old post traffic.

ProBlogger – Even though Darren promotes his blog as a site for professional bloggers, there is great content for new bloggers as well. Check out the tab near the center of the home page labeled “For Beginners.” Recent post worth reading: 9 tips to start blogging successfully.

Remarkablogger – Michael consistently provides great advice and excellent resources for new and long time bloggers. Skim through his older articles by finding what you want in his well organized blogging categories. Recent post worth reading: Blogging ethics 101d – Paid links.

Each of these blogs provides great content for the new blogger. But you will also find these blogs to be excellent examples of blogging design and structure. Take some time to examine the layout. Look through their pages and sidebars. Learning from these blogs should include more than just reading the posts.

What great blogs have you found to help you become an expert blogger?