Your very last question "Why would I bring it home?" stuck out to me. I wonder how many books that are easily avaible online still get purchased. Seth Godin's recent "Small is the new big" is a great example of a blog to book. Cluetrain is fully available online and I wonder how many still purchase it. I'm sure there are many others.

I think to some degree it may come from people enjoying being able to 'sit down with a good book' compared to 'sit down and stare at a screen.' I think this may be the greatest reason for it.

There's also the 'impresive' impact you get if someone comes to your house and sees a large library of books. Or if someone happens to notice you have the same book they do which sparks conversation, etc.

All is skepticism though. Would be interesting to see research on it.

Lots of things to ponder and discuss here.

As a writer, my blogging is definitely different from my other writing (poetry mostly). I have blogged poetry in the past as well, but it was designed specifically for the blog and wasn't pen on paper stuff- that's the stuff I'm saving for a book.

I think there is great value in a book, even one you can read for free online. Many people will still buy the book, to spend that quality cuddle time with it. However, I bet that sales will be weak for blog books. There will be sales, you can bank on that, but I agree that the sales will leave the publishers unhappy.

I have toyed with writing a book, or compiling a work of poetry, specifically aimed for the online audience. As my blog gets more readership, I think there could be some value in it and possibly the option to sell advertising so that the book makes money that way... but we'll have to see if I can find the actual time to make that happen.

Nathan and Tim,

Great comments that give us more to chew on. I don't know the answers to "Can blogs to books work?" and I do come to the subject with heavy biases. My first job after the military was reporting for a daily newspaper and then moving on to working as a book and then a magazine editor. Each of those mediums require different writing styles.

Here are a few more thoughts I want to throw out to others who may wish to comment:

Write the book first, use the blog to get some feedback for improving the work, and then use the blog for marketing the book.

Lewis - You are spot on with your observation on blogs to book: the sum of the parts of a blog will never equal a good book. If anything blogs can be the frosting on the cake, but I don't see them being the cake. Based on the Godin name and the Kewpie dolls on the cover, I had "Small is the Next Big" in my hand at Borders the other day before I stopped and asked myself why - cute cover aside - would I pay for this when I can read it online.

Lewis, I think what you are suggesting is totally accurate; book, blog to promote book, blog as enhancement to book, blog to extend life of book.

I envision, for my own future book, working on the book and writing the blog at the same time and then publishing excerpts along the way to hopefully generate greater interest for the book once it is finished and published.

We'll see if it works.

Nathan: another reason why people still like books, because you don't need WiFi to read them on the go ;)

Tim: great idea for simultaneous book and blog writing, where the blog compliments the book and your journey writing it. Hope you can get it to press sooner than later!