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Kyle Lacy – Twitter Marketing for Dummies | Review

Title: Twitter Marketing for Dummies

Author: Kyle Lacy

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 296

Rating: 7/10

Kyle Lacy – Twitter Marketing for Dummies

The problem with the social media and digital marketing titles in the ‘For Dummies‘ series is that they were ahead of their time, and by that I mean that they all came out so long ago that the landscape has changed almost beyond recognition.

This book is only five years old, but five years is a long time in the age of the internet and most of the step-by-step guides in here are now as good as useless, because Twitter’s interface has changed so much. Likewise, some new features have been added to the site that don’t get a mention here, and other features have been made redundant.

But that said, it’s still a well-written introduction to the world of social media marketing, and the actual concepts that Lacy espouses are still just as relevant – you’ll just have to figure out how to apply them in this new landscape, is all.

Kyle Lacy

And at the end of the day, isn’t that what a book like this is about? I’m pretty sure that Lacy will be happy as long as you read it and feel inspired to do something – this isn’t a step-by-step guide on how to become a Twitter superstar, it’s just an introduction that tells you the most important things that you’re likely to need to know so that you can take what you learn, go off and do your own thing.

So there’s still a place for this book, particularly for new marketers who’ve never used Twitter before and who don’t know what the term ‘inbound marketing’ refers to. Otherwise, you might find that this book is just a little too basic.

The For Dummies Guy

Click here to buy Twitter Marketing for Dummies.

Cory Doctorow and Karl Schroeder – The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Science Fiction | Review

Title: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Science Fiction

Author: Cory Doctorow and Karl Schroeder

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 360

Rating: 6/10

Cory Doctorow and Karl Schroeder – The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Science Fiction

I’m confused – I’ve always heard good things about Cory Doctorow’s writing, but this is the second of two books of his that I’ve read, and both of them have left me feeling disappointed. Here, he promises to “help you meld the creative with the practical and make some extra cash in the process.”

The problem is that it’s all a little too basic, and when you feel like further advice is required, you’re prompted to contact an organisation because it’s outside the scope of the book – it really does feel like an idiot’s guide, and it’s a little demeaning in places, even if it is accidental.

It also hasn’t aged well – most of the information that the book contains is just a Google search away, and half of the agents and publications that he suggests you contact are no longer in business, having failed to adapt to the digital age. It’s only fourteen years old, but fourteen years has made a hell of a difference.

Cory Doctorow

Besides, it just feels like a cheap knock-off of the ‘For Dummies‘ series – in fact, the Idiot’s Guide series has always paralleled the For Dummies series, and both of them were popularised by a book about MS-DOS. I don’t know which series launched first, but I know which one is better. I’ll give you a hint – it’s not this one.

I’m not saying that there isn’t any value to be gained from reading it, but take what you read with a pinch of salt and forge your own path through the murky world of writing and publishing – promoting your work is a skill, much like writing is, and you’ll have to develop your own techniques to suit your needs.

There’s only so much you can learn from a book, and I’m sure there are better, more up-to-date books out there for you to read. Pick this one above the others if you want to, but do so at your peril.