Next Writer's Meeting

November Meeting Cancelled

Due to the weather, we have cancelled our November writer's meeting. Please check back here for the next scheduled meeting.

Don't Update Your Author Page When You're Sick

When you're stuck inside due to illness, there really isn't much you're interested in doing. The laundry, dusting, vacuuming, and scrubbing of bathrooms is so far down on your list of desired tasks that it may never see daylight. Such is my plight today.

Since I get bored easily, I decided I would spend my quiet time between naps and doses of Advil and alternating cups of hot tea and cranberry juice to catch up some work on my author page on Amazon. Many don't know it, but they may have unpopulated fields waiting for content.

As diligent as we try to be in filling in all fields for consumers to browse, there are some that don't seem to work well and don't cross over from where they were added to the information pages. Don't rush out and try to do them right now, though.

I don't think it was the fever inhibiting my efforts to update that necessary content on my page, but rather it was a glitch in Amazon's author page system. I filled them in, clicked preview, clicked save changes, and . . . nothing. I closed the browser and restarted, and that helped on a couple, but then even it didn't work after a while. So, I sent them an email that said, "Hey! This isn't working for me. Fix it." I'm sure they'll get right on that, because I am their only author.

They've been very good about responding to my previous requests to fix stuff. And, I hope they do get it fixed, because it is essential in making your books turn up in those all important searches on their site, and we all want to have our books show up in those, often. So, you might go to your Amazon author page in a day or two, especially if you haven't visited it in a while, sign in, click on the "books" tab, and then go through your books to make sure you have filled in all the sections that you can. But, be forewarned, it might not have been fixed in the last ten minutes. It might take them a little time. You may just want to drink a hot cup of tea and eat some cookies while you're waiting.

A Blog Worth Knowing

In my recent blog travels I came across Sidebar Saturdays, which seems to provide writers a wealth of information, from the legal perspective, on how to protect yourself from the many issues that can arise with respect to crafting novels, nonfiction, and other types of books. I would encourage the group, and anyone traveling through on their own blog scouting adventure, to take some time to read the posts.

Google+ Shutting Down - Not Blogger!

With the impending shut-down of the consumer side of Google+ apparently slated for August of 2019, those of you who have a Google+ account will have one less online space to update. Of course, there will also be one less online space whereby your blog posts may be aggregated and disseminated publicly to users in a single stream. That's the hub of the problem.

I've read the news posts regarding the shutdown. I understand their reasoning. Google+ just isn't working out. It hasn't gained that all-important popularity like some of the other social networking sites. But, how then are bloggers supposed to get their blog noticed when Google+ goes silent? And, let's be clear, it is Google+, NOT BLOGGER, that is going silent.

Well, there are Google searches. Adding labels to blog posts will help get it noticed in search results. Hopefully Goggle will allow more than 20 labels to a post. Adding a blog roll and a link list to your blog and asking those you list to add your blog to theirs is another way of generating readers and followers. Adding a link to your blog or listing your blog site in your profile information in other social media sites you are involved in is another. Guest blogging on other blogs will help too. Getting your blog pinged and crawled is important. Adding links to keywords in your blog posts (most of you already know) may help drive traffic to your blog and help someone else out, too. None of this is new, but some of it may have been forgotten in the shadow of the big social networking sites that consume a lot of time.

There are more than a few people, like me, who have decided to spend less time on social media sites like Facebook ( providing free content for Facebook to sell ads while not sharing the revenue stream they get from them, and being pressed to pay Facebook to 'boost the post') and Twitter (similar to Facebook), and LinkedIn (ditto x 2), in favor of generating content and traffic for our own blogs, and spending more time actually writing books, essays, articles, etc, for which we may be paid and which our loyal readers are eager to have.

Don't worry. Be Happy. Blogger is not going anywhere anytime soon. At least, I hope not. It's still the easiest blog platform to get started with, to update, and to customize. Wherever you blog, you should be thinking of your blog as prime real estate. Those blog rolls and website links you can add are fertile ground. And if you want to grow your followers, be sure to add an all-important email subscription button to allow visitors to get your updates, minus the drama, directly in their inbox. Re-explore all that functionality that has been overlooked or undervalued since you first set up your blog, or abandoned it in favor of social media sites.

Remember, sharing is key, and subscribing via email to the content you really like may just make you a happier blogger and a happier reader. And, allowing moderated comments on your blog(s) will allow you to be as social as you want or need to be.

Be sure to check into affiliate marketing opportunities for the websites you own, and set up an AdSense account with Google and monetize your own blog and start generating some revenue for the content you work so hard to create. I'll be adding a blog roll for our author's here, so you can visit their blog sites, and I will be adding a link list for other writing-publishing-related sites, as well as one for writing groups, that an author, or aspiring author, might be interested in exploring.

In closing, I want to mention that the opinions stated herein are my own and may not be endorsed by everyone in our writing group. But as writers we all need to be certain that the investment of time and energy, and it's considerable, is well balanced with the return.

Susan Cronk

An Inspiring Meeting

Author Amy Houts said it best. The Sept 25 meeting was 'inspiring.'

Iowa author, artist, photographer, sculptor Brenda Scott spoke with us about her creative endeavors, including the inspiration for her newest thing, A Little Something Beautiful. She brought a lot of enthusiasm to the meeting and it was contagious. We are happy to say she has joined our group, along with Bill Lockwood, and Melinda Taylor, who recently published her first book, May's Faith. Her book is available locally at the Nodaway News Leader's office and on Amazon by clicking the title link (or right-clicking the link to open it in a new tab).

A lot of discussion followed the presentation and several new topics were brought up for the consideration of the group. One of those was the recognition that many authors are shutterbugs and the opportunities available for them to use their creative talents to the fullest and by offering their photos for sale to those needing images and videos for their websites.

It seems that many of the writer's in the group have projects nearing completion, so it will be exciting to bring you information about those when they become available.

We want to thank member and author Shari Barr for introducing Brenda to the group and inviting her to speak. I also want to thank her for permission to use of one of her beautiful pictures for the header page on the group page on Facebook and here.

Members Amy and Sandy will be hosting the next meeting. Until we learn the topic they will be presenting to the group, here is the basic information. Mark your calendars.

Meeting September 25, 2018 7:00 p.m.

God's Protection Covers Me by Amy Houts

 A new book by Amy Houts. We want to congratulate Amy on this new achievement and we wish her success with this book. 

From Amy Houts on Facebook - July 16, 2018 - "Today is the day! Cover reveal of my upcoming picture #book from #BeamingBooksMN GOD’S PROTECTION COVERS ME. Precious artwork by David Creighton-Pester's. Preorders begin soon!
 #CoverReveal #ChristianBooks#kidlit"

Upcoming Meeting

Bob Bohlken - Stairway of Stars

Chapter Member Robert Bohlken was added to the Stairway of Stars as the Nodaway County Historical Society this last week. It is fitting that he should be included there. His contributions to the county are numbers. He is a:

A veteran
A 60-Year Member of the American Legion
A Longtime Member of the Optimist Club
Professor Emeritus from Northwest Missouri State University
A Published Author . . . and the list goes on.

Congratulations, Bob. We're proud that you have so long been a member of the Maryville Chapter of the Missouri Writer's Guild, as well.

Critique Night - Redux

At the January meeting of the Maryville Chapter, many writers brought portions of their works in progress to share. In fact, due to time constraints, we were unable to critique all of the submissions. Therefore, we will be holding a second critique session at March, and we hope that those authors whose work wasn't reviewed at the January meeting will submit it again at that time. And any new writer's wishing to participate will bring submissions as well. We will get to as many people at time allows.

There were many new writers in attendance and we're so pleased to have been able to welcome them and to learn something about them and about their work. We certainly hope they will decide to return and to become regular members. 

It has been a while since we posted information about the Maryville Chapter's purpose and about annual membership dues.

The group's purpose, put simply, is to inspire writers in all genres; to provide information, through speakers, about writing as both an art and a skill; to provide information about the business aspects related to writing and publishing; to share and provide positive feedback to help group members hone their skill; and to encourage those who have stories to tell, memories or poetry to share, and knowledge to impart to get it down on paper and to make it available through publication. 

The Maryville Chapter members are actively writing and publishing and have a wealth of information and insight that may be helpful to published and unpublished writers alike. 

We hope that local writers, whether previously published or not, will consider joining the group, in person or online, and contribute their knowledge, their skill, their insights, and their suggestions or  questions. 

The Maryville Chapter of the Missouri Writer's Guild meets every two months, on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Membership dues are $5.00 per year and are payable in January.