We were lucky enough to snag a copy of Publish & Prosper: Blogging for your Business from the folks behind the Blog Business Summit.

Graphically, the book’s lovely: slick and well organized, the type is easy on the eye and the images are crisp and informative. This can be hard to do with screenshots, especially in grayscale, so kudos to the design team. The title page is a clever graphical representation of a browser window, complete with stylized scrollbar. It gets its point across perfectly while not succumbing to gimmicks.

Content-wise, this is definitely aimed at the entry-level blogger. The concept of blogging is explained, and the authors give an overview of popular blogging platforms and the pros and cons of hosted blogging vs. a root install. Useful for the blogging novice, but old hat to many of us.

The chapters on design and getting started are full of good ideas, as well as some questionable ones (“Remember that blogs are meant to be more casual and relaxed,” the authors opine in Chapter 4:Designing for Readers, “and you should use soft, earthy, warm colors like orange and green,” prompting a universal groan from the Web 2.0-saturated blogosphere).

The seasoned blogger will find little useful information in much of this book, which I think is a mistake; lots of us found out about the book from the Blog Business Summit website, which suggests a certain level of blog-related savvy. True, the “Beyond Blogging” chapter has some valuable information on content on demand, microformats and mashups, but that chapter alone probably wouldn’t justify the purchase price.

Verdict: Blogging for Your Business is indispensable for anyone taking the first plunge into the blogosphere; experienced users should wait for the sequel.

The couldbe studios site: almost live. Want to be notified the moment it’s ready to go? Sign up for our handy-dandy newsletter. There’s a link in the sidebar. Nothing is stopping you.

Jumping the gun on our main site launch is the unveiling of our newest service. That’s right, folks – couldbe studios is already producing offspring. Can it be long before we start talking about diapers and preschools?

Like I was saying: Buzzverb launched today! Buzzverb is the answer to your prayers, assuming you pray for good copywriting. Who doesn’t, really? We’re excited, because it means we can flex our writing muscle for creating more than just code.

Since November is National Novel Writing Month, and in honor of our auspicious launch, Buzzverb has decided to bring you 30 days of links to the best writing resources on the web. 30 links in 30 days! Whether you’re doing NaNoWriMo or not, this isn’t something you’ll want to miss.

Contrary to our name, which is all about the possibilities, we’ve been having the blog version of writer’s block over here. Notes have been taken, read later, and discarded. Tabs have been opened (oh, the tabs which have been opened) and ignored until our browser crashed or our system needed a reboot (half of us use OSX so it doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen). Research has begun on various and sundry topics, only to be abandoned once it became clear that we are not experts on, say, venture capital or auctions. This is a problem lots of business bloggers face. How can you be regarded as an expert in your field if there are gaps in your knowledge?

We have a secret for you: experts aren’t experts on everything. Here are our tips for banishing blogger’s block (oh, the alliteration) and jump-starting your writing career.

1. Get rid of qualifiers. Read through your post and take out any instances of “I think” and “In my opinion.” You know more than you think you do; sound like it.

2. Post something. Anything. A stale blog is a dead blog, and by the time you’ve come back into the fray your readers may not be reading anymore.

3. Stick with what you know. You started your blog for a reason, right? Maybe you’re working for a mega-corporation; maybe you’re starting your own business. The everyday things that annoy or inspire you are ideal post fodder.

4. Make a list. Look at us, taking our own advice! Lists are a great way to cut knowledge into tasty bite-sized morsels. Good for everyone, and diet-friendly too.

And, finally:

5. Take five. Or, more acurately, twenty-four – hours, that is. Close your blog editor, turn off your RSS feeds, give your computer a well-earned day off. It’s easy to get bogged down and lose sight of what inspires you. Taking a break can clear your mind and make that post you’ve been stressing about come out of hiding.

Once you’re ready to fire up your laptop and try again, there are some great articles out there to get you going. Copyblogger has 5 Simple Ways to Open Your Blog Post, which has some great advice for hooking your readers. Functioning Form passes along some semantics to avoid in Dead Words Walking. Finally, LifeDev titles a post The Best Blogging Advice Ever. Period. and with a statement like that, how can we not believe?

Take it from us: blogger’s block is a pain in the ass. But, just like an actual pain, you’ll feel a lot better once you walk it off.

The new generation of web users expects more than just a digital brochure. They – we – aren’t even satisfied with a reasonably attractive site promoting a reasonably useful product. The internet has evolved into a community-based entity. It’s not enough to be user friendly. You’ve actually got to be friends with your users.

Enter the business blog, in all its shiny Web 2.0 goodness. Blogs give a much-needed friendly face to the anonymity of the internet. More importantly, they offer a connection. Which would you rather read – a polished press release, or a note from the CEO? I guess a better question would be: a note from the CEO, or a play-by-play by the chick in cubicle 6? Because maybe you wouldn’t want to buy something from the CEO, but that chick sounds just like your best friend from high school, and she just said the funniest thing about her boss, and hey, there’s an RSS feed. And viola – the seed is planted.

But how social is too social? At heart, I’m still a 90s sort of girl. Keeping a blog where clients can see it? What if I get Dooced? (Then again, Dooce now supports her family with her blog, so maybe that’s not so bad.) No one wants to click on a company blog and hear about someone’s sick grandmother or latest trip to the mall – yet, surprisingly, some businesses blog about just that.

Here’s the thing: there’s human, and then there’s too human. Learning about the inner workings of a company is interesting; learning about the inner workings of someone’s love life is voyeurism. (Unless you’re blogging about a dating service; then it’s interesting and voyeuristic.)

Finding the right balance of personal and professional is hard. You’ll hear all sorts of advice about identifying your target audience and using the blogging phenomenon to market your business, but if you’re thinking in marketing terms? Your blog will most likely fail. People know when they’re being solicited. A blog isn’t the right place for a sales pitch. Talk about your what you do, sure, but save the selling for the product page.

Readers of your blog are looking for one of three things: information about your product or service, information about your area of expertise, or entertainment. Of the three, entertainment is the hardest to achieve. Don’t try to be clever. If witty repartee doesn’t come naturally to you, stick to what you know. Write about what your product does. Write about what your product doesn’t do. Write about the day-to-day operation of your business, or the cool new thing you’re working on, or the problem you’ve just solved. Respond to feedback and leave feedback of your own.

Above all, make your readers feel like they’re part of the experience. People are much more likely to use your service if they “know” the people behind it. It’s all about connections.

We live and breathe design; why not share some of that with you? We promise to brush our teeth first.

Finding what’s actually useful in a sea of internet apps and programs can be daunting. Web 2.0? Moblogging? Web-based desktops? The future of internet design may be bright, but at times it’s blinding. Keep your eye trained here for articles, updates, and design advice.

Don’t feel that motivated? Check out CouldBe Studios for ready-made and custom website templates, logo designs, and graphics.