Every since I began this blog I’ve been repeating over and over again that you are blogging a book. And, indeed, you are. What do you end up with, though, once you have a printed book based upon that blogged book? A blook.
That’s right. A blook is printed book that contains or is based on content from a blog.
I thought the word worthy of a post detailing its origins, since you may very well produce a blook.
We can trace the first use of the book to Tony Pierce’s book, published in 2002. He compiled selected posts from his one-year-old blog and turned the collection into a book called Blook, a title suggested by his blog readers during a contest. Jeff Jarvis of BuzzMachine won the contest and subsequently invented the term. Pierce went on to publish two other blooks, How To Blog and Stiff; none of his books appear to still be in print.
Yet, his was not the first published blook. Joel Spolsky landed the first book based on his blog Joel on Software for User Interface Design for Programmers, published by Apress on June 26, 2001.
As the blog-to-book trend became apparent, print-on-demand publisher Lulu inaugurated the Lulu Blooker Prize for self-published blooks, which was first awarded in 2006.
Of course, by now—2012—you can find many blooks on the shelves of libraries and bookstores. And many a blogger has landed a book deal. Not only that, more and more bloggers are realizing they are sitting on a ton of content that could be turned into a book. Writers and bloggers alike—just like you—also are becoming aware that they can plan out their content and blog books, a much easier way to complete the first draft of a successful self-published book and or a traditionally published book. Along the way, you might even blog your way to a traditional book deal.
When it’s all said and done, you’ll end up with a blook. Who woulda thought?
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