AMACOM has issued a press release for the book. Here it is:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MANAGING ONLINE FORUMS
New AMACOM Book Shows How to Create a Fun, Informative, and Harmonious Internet Community

Every day, millions of users log on to their favorite Internet forums and interact with others to get advice and discuss everything from the latest news and trends to their hobbies to their professions to whatever else strikes their fancy. Administrators have to lead these communities, deal with difficult users, and choose moderators. Legal constraints, spammers, and technical issues can turn the excitement of running an online community into chaos. With the right guidance, however, running forums can be a pleasure.

MANAGING ONLINE FORUMS: Everything You Need To Know To Create And Run Successful Community Discussion Boards (AMACOM; April 28, 2008; $24.00 Paperback) is the first comprehensive book to cover everything administrators need to know to launch and run a successful community forum. Patrick O’Keefe goes beyond the technical aspects of forum software and reveals how to develop a safe, engaging environment for people to come and share their thoughts. He has spent years building and managing online communities, so he understands the many challenges of running them firsthand. He explains: “As the administrator, you are the person who has to lead the community, take it to the next level, make the tough decisions, take the heat, deal with the people, manage the staff, and keep the community running smoothly on all fronts. This book targets those who are trying to maintain a professional, well-run operation.”

From creating a brand-new stand-alone community to taking over an existing community, administrators will learn how to:

• choose a name and domain name
• pick the right software
• decide on user options like avatars and private messaging
• set guidelines and deal with violators
• ensure that posts stay on topic
• settle online disputes among users
• involve their users and keep the site interesting
• choose and manage staff members
• generate revenue

Complete with a helpful section on online resources as well as a series of general templates for user guidelines, staff member guidelines, and contacting users, MANAGING ONLINE FORUMS is the one book that shows site owners and administrators how to create a safe and entertaining community that users will return to again and again.

“Online forums make up the very foundation of the social web. Unfortunately, there are few resources for the growing number of people who work behind the scenes to make them successful.  In this comprehensive book, Patrick O’Keefe brings his real world experiences to bear in the form of strategies, tactics and ideas that fill a knowledge gap that has begged to be filled for too long.” —Lee LeFever, Common Craft

About the Author:

Patrick O’Keefe is the founder and owner of the iFroggy Network (ifroggy.com), an Internet network featuring content, community and e-commerce sites. He manages seven communities, including phpBBHacks.com, SportsForums.net, KarateForums.com, CommunityAdmins.com and PhotoshopForums.com. He lives in Harbinger, NC.

Check out the book’s website at: http://www.managingonlineforums.com.

Title:   MANAGING ONLINE FORUMS:
  Everything You Need To Know To Create And Run
  Successful Community Discussion Boards
Author:         Patrick O’Keefe
ISBN:   978-0-8144-0197-2
Pub. Date: April 28, 2008
Price:  $24.00
Pages:  304

For review copies, call 212-903-7951 or fax 212-903-8083.
To purchase copies, call 1-800-714-6395.
Visit AMACOM online at www.amacombooks.org