Manny Hernandez said
If you are a new YouTube user, trying to learn the ropes of video sharing online, YouTube: An Insider's Gudie To Climbing the Charts has enough material to get you through the basics. It discusses the critical bases of storytelling, directing, shooting, editing and rendering. You are walked through the process of setting up your very own YouTube channel and how to build an audience for it while you make sure you keep your content accessible and legal (you don't want to find your videos removed or your channel shut down for copyright infringement). You are introduced to ways in which you can monetize your videos (if that's your thing) and the broad world of online video beyond YouTube.
Overall, this is not an ideal starting point for beginners but it has enough references to help someone who is a fast learner to get started. Though advanced users may find most of the content already familiar, there are a ton of tips and hints that are bound to become a treasure of wisdom regardless of how long you've been publishing on YouTube. Most of the intermediate-level readers, who may have done a video or two, but want to get to the next level, will find the book to be an extremely wealthy read.
Reg Nordman said
When I picked this one up I could not help but think, "Why? Why would anyone want to be really good at Youtube?" This book gives any marketer more than enough answers.
The authors are not only adepts at YouTube, they have a good background in film and film studies. This combination has allowed the creation of a very pragmatic, hands on guide that really does lead you through how to achieve the goal in the title. Very readable and moves right along, so it is not a heavy tome by any measure.
On another level the book provides some insight on the user generated content space and just how compelling it is. The linked examples in the book are very useful in a study of this space. You see how Youtube has been able to generate such a strong and growing user base. No wonder that the analysts say that Google is losing millions on just the hosting alone for YouTube. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and for how long. Any marketer will gain a lot from this book.
Chelsea Banks said
I knew I had a lot to learn, but I never dreamed I had THIS much to learn! And it's all in one book with lots of detail and simple language. You can even skip to whatever topic you want without feeling lost because you didn't read the previous chapter. If I had to choose one word to describe this guide, that word would be "awesome."
Thomas Duff said
If you're into YouTube from the perspective of creating videos for public consumption, this is the one book you really should have available to you... YouTube: An Insider's Guide to Climbing the Charts by Alan Lastufka and Michael W. Dean. It goes into everything you need to know on how to create compelling stories, quality video, and YouTube marketing. On top of that, it's entertaining to read.
Contents: What Is This YouTube of Which You Speak?; Storytelling and Directing; 99-Cent Film School - Shooting, Editing, and Rendering; Creating Your Very Own Channel; Broadcasting Yourself - User-Generated Content; Rebroadcasting - Commercial Content; Building Your Audience; The Community - Where Do You Fit In?; Hacking the System - How to Cheat (and Why You Shouldn't); Reaching the World; Money, Money, Money!; Beyond the 'Tube; Becoming a Success Story; Closing Arguments; Interviews with Other YouTube Rock Stars; Index
Unlike most books that cover specific online sites like Facebook or Google, this goes far beyond just the nuts and bolts mechanics of how to work with the site. Yes, there's the prerequisite information on how to upload videos, how to link to your videos, how to create channels, etc. But where this book excels is in teaching you what happens *before* you even fire up your browser. If you're interested in nothing more than posting that funny pet video you happened to capture last Christmas, then you probably don't care about most of the "before" stuff. But there are people who consistently and professionally produce video content and use YouTube as their distribution channel. This is the audience to which Lastufka and Dean speak. Videos are stories, and you will learn what makes up a good story (and more importantly, how to tell that story in 10 minutes). Once you have your story, you have to film and edit it in such a way that the production quality doesn't detract from your overall message. That's covered here as well. And then after you get two or three videos online and someone other than your mother is viewing them, you may need to think about how you market yourself in this venue. Lastufka and Dean make sure you have all the information you need to make solid choices up front before you accidentally get popular and end up stuck with some brand you never intended to portray.
Bottom line, this is an excellent book. The material is solid and comprehensive, and they back up everything they say with actual URL examples from YouTube. Again, if you are going to post on a semi-regular basis on YouTube, this is a must-read.
B. Goldman said
This is the real deal from people who know what they are talking about. Michael Dean is an expert at breaking down the barriers between independent production and mass distribution. His $30 School series are the handbooks for no-budget visionaries. Now with YouTube: An Insider's Guide, Michael and Alan have provided a transparent model to success with online video.
If you want to be in the Top 10, this is a must-read.
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