Curated List Of Atom & RSS Feed Syndication Book Titles
Want to learn more about creating and using RSS feeds and XML file format? Here's my curated reading list of some popular book titles that discuss the inner workings of the XML distribution pipeline that RSS feed syndication provides to online content creators, bloggers, and podcasters.A Recommended Reading Collection Of Books About Really Simple Syndication
The core protocols that codified the RSS specification were created a quarter-century ago - yet still stand today. They defined the standard format of XML files that continues to work announcing fresh content to this day. "RSS For Dummies" types of books are the most approachable to the average blogger or webmaster. Many of the classic titles are technically detailed for developers and coders.RSS and Atom Book Recommendations
Really Simple Syndication has been moving content around the web for roughly a quarter of a century, yet the shelf of books about RSS and Atom feeds is small. Most were published between 2003 and 2006, when blogs were multiplying and feed readers were how people kept up. This page gathers the titles worth knowing about into one reading list, with the author, publisher, ISBN, and publication date for each, plus a note on who each book suits best. A few closely related titles are included as well.
The audience is wide. Some of these books are written for programmers who want to understand how a feed is built, from XML structure to the differences between RSS 2.0 and Atom. Others speak to webmasters, SEOs, and Internet marketers who want to use syndication for distribution and reach, or to hobby bloggers who just want a feed that works. A few bridge both camps. The last column tags each book so you can skip straight to the ones that fit you.
The audience is wide. Some of these books are written for programmers who want to understand how a feed is built, from XML structure to the differences between RSS 2.0 and Atom. Others speak to webmasters, SEOs, and Internet marketers who want to use syndication for distribution and reach, or to hobby bloggers who just want a feed that works. A few bridge both camps. The last column tags each book so you can skip straight to the ones that fit you.
| Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN | Date | Audience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content Syndication with RSS | Ben Hammersley | O'Reilly Media | 9780596003838 | March 2003 | Developers |
| Developing Feeds with RSS and Atom | Ben Hammersley | O'Reilly Media | 9780596008819 | April 2005 | Developers |
| Beginning RSS and Atom Programming | Danny Ayers and Andrew Watt | Wrox | 9780764579165 | May 2005 | Developers |
| Syndicating Web Sites with RSS Feeds For Dummies | Ellen Finkelstein | Wiley | 9780764588488 | April 2005 | Casual consumer publishers and marketers |
| RSS and Atom: Understanding and Implementing Content Feeds and Syndication | Heinz Wittenbrink | Packt Publishing | 9781904811572 | November 2005 | General purpose |
| Secrets of RSS | Steven Holzner | Peachpit Press | 9780321426222 | June 2006 | Casual consumer publishers and webmasters |
| RSS and Atom in Action | Dave Johnson | Manning Publications | 9781932394498 | March 2006 | Developers |
| ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income (3rd Edition) | Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett | Wiley | 9781118199558 | March 2012 | Bloggers and Internet marketers |
| Podcasting: Do-It-Yourself Guide | Todd Cochrane | Wiley | 9780764597787 | June 2005 | Podcasters and advanced consumers |
| Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Audio and Video Podcasting (2nd Edition) | Michael W. Geoghegan and Dan Klass | Apress | 9781590599051 | March 2008 | Podcasters and media marketers |
| Podcasting For Dummies (5th Edition) | Tee Morris and Chuck Tomasi | Wiley | 9781394264520 | July 2024 | Podcasters and marketers |
A Note About Publication Dates:
Many of these books are out of print, but that works in the reader's favor. Used copies of older technical books are often inexpensive. A slightly beat-up copy teaches the same material as a pristine one. Don't let the publication dates scare you off. RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0 are stable specifications, and a feed built the way these books describe still works decades later in today's latest readers, syndication tools, podcast and blogging platforms. The sections to skim are the ones on Atom 0.3, the early RSS 0.9x and 1.0 variants, and the old blogging APIs, since the web has moved past them.Books About Podcasting & RSS Syndication's Role In Distribution
The entire ecosystem of automatic episodic audio and video podcast distribution is, was, and will continue to be driven by RSS feeds making new podcast episodes available to subscribers. A few book titles specifically helpful to novice and struggling podcasters may be helpful for learning ways to expand your audience and reach.Marketing Strategy Books About Leveraging RSS Feed Automation
Some Internet Marketing books have solid chapters about Really Simple Syndication, and how RSS automation can dovetail into your online visibility, content promotion, SEO and backlink building strategies.Even Old RSS Book Titles Offer New Learning Opportunities
The list of books written about RSS & Atom feeds that I've curated here is decidedly a very short stack - And many of the titles listed on this page were written more than a decade ago during the initial heyday of RSS adoption. Don't let the publishing dates or lack of modern revisions deter you.Some are out of print, but I've scoured Amazon and eBay listings and linked to some of these book titles as possible sources for finding used copies. Some are still available to eager minds who want a deeper understanding of what's going on under the hood of this RSS syndication and automation engine that can drive visibility.
You might have to dig for them via their ISBN book code at other online booksellers and/or find any copies available. I've done my best to curate what exists in the RSS ecosystem.