using Blogger for Word
The following post is a modified version of Topic 48, "Using Blogger for Word," from my forthcoming
book on Blogger [see
TOC]. The style of this book is the
Sams Publishing "In a Snap" series, which "offer[s] a unique 2-color format allowing readers to solve problems by identifying individual tasks quickly." In other words, there are a bunch of numbered tasks with lots of pictures, tips, notes, and step-by-step instructions.
Blogger for Word is an add-in for Microsoft Word that allows you to compose, edit, save as draft, and publish blog posts all within Microsoft Word [requires Windows XP or 2000, and Microsoft Word 2000 or higher]. Personally, I don't compose my blog posts in Word, not even the long ones. Short ones I'm perfectly happy using the Blogger post editor with the Recover Post feature (if necessary), and for long posts I use Notepad or
TextPad, whatever text editor is handy. But a great number of people use Word for
everything and thus it makes great sense to create the Blogger for Word add-on.
To download Blogger for Word, go to
http://buzz.blogger.com/bloggerforword.html, read the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then press the Agree and Download button. Save the downloaded file to your hard drive, then double-click the file name to install. The installation process is a three-step wizard and requires little intervention on your part. When the application has been installed, launch Microsoft Word. The Blogger for Word add-in will appear as a toolbar near the top of your document window.
STEP 1: Click to Modify Your Blogger Settings [see figure 1]
Before you begin, ensure your Blogger settings are accurate. Press the Blogger Settings button in the Blogger for Word toolbar, which will launch the window shown here. Enter your Blogger username and password, which will be used to validate your account and retrieve your list of blogs and blog posts.
Check the checkboxes next to the features you would like to enable. If you choose not to show the Blogger for Word toolbar on startup, you must manually enable it within Word anytime you want to use it. If you check the option to generate a title for your new posts, your posts will be given a default title equal to the first twenty or so characters from the body of your post. When you have completed your settings, press the OK button.
STEP 2: Click to Edit an Existing Post [see figure 2]
Press the Open Post button in the Blogger for Word toolbar, which will launch the window shown here. This window provides tools for retrieving existing posts for further editing. From the drop-down list of blogs attached to your account, select the blog containing the post you would like to edit. Once a blog has been selected, a list of recent posts will be displayed. Highlight a post to select it, then press the OK button to retrieve the post and edit its contents in Microsoft Word.
STEP 3: Type Your Post [see figure 3]
You may begin typing at any time. Use the basic formatting elements in Microsoft Word, such as bold, italics, underline, and hyperlinks, as part of your post text. You can also type raw HTML code in your document.
STEP 4: Press the Save as Draft Button to Save Your Post Without Publishing [see figure 3]
If you would like to save your work but not publish it quite yet, press the Save as Draft button. Once saved, you can retrieve it via the Open Post tool or through the Blogger post editor itself.
STEP 5: Press the Publish Button to Publish Your Post [see figure 3]
If you are ready to publish your post to your blog, press the Publish button to launch the window shown here.
STEP 6: Title Your Post, Select a Publishing Target, and Press the Send Button [see figure 3]
If you have selected automatic generation of post titles in your Blogger for Word settings, you can leave it or edit the generated title. If you have not selected the automatic generation of post titles, enter one in this text field—titles are required for all posts. Next, select the publishing target for this post. If you have more than one blog, all your blogs will appear in this drop-down list. Press the Send button to send the post along its merry way.
STEP 7: View the Post Published Using Blogger for Word [see figure 4]
After publishing your post using Blogger for Word, visit your blog to review your work. You will notice the post looks like any other blog post created through the Blogger post editor. w00t!
For more information on Blogger for Word, including FAQs and Known Issues, visit its Blogger Help page.
technorati tag: blogger
go to main page
