Maryville Public Library Director Presents Information to Group

Last night, August 27, the Maryville Chapter of the Missouri Writer's Guild met for its regular meeting. The presenter was Stephanie Patterson, Director, of the Maryville Public Library.

Stephanie provided a wealth of information related to the library's role in the community, as well as its local goals and objectives for the 2019-2020 period, and provided information related to the NWMO regional goals for 2019-2023, in which the library plays a large part.

In addition, Stephanie answered many questions related to how the library makes its decisions regarding book purchases and retention, as well as how it addresses updating of the library's many other resources. She also discussed the issues that librarians face today as they are being called upon to do much more than their predecessors decades ago as technology has grown, and larger social issues and expectations for services change.

Included in her presentation was information related to local authors, briefly discussing the expansion of self-publishing and how that is affecting decision making. What are the trends in various genres? What materials are used to determine how purchases and resources are acquired? What is the process of deciding what books are retained? Do book reviews make a difference in the decision to purchase? Issues such as cover art, internal art, audience, and subject matter that all authors need to keep in mind. She provided some insights into e-books and some of the changes that are taking place that affect pricing and access.

As the meeting came to a close, Stephanie answered questions. Her expertise and education in these matters made the meeting a very productive one and gave attendees a lot to think about as they move forward with their individual projects, hopefully with some insight on how to partner with the local Maryville Public Library, and other libraries. Based on her presentation and information provided the Maryville Public Library appears to be on track with respect to their mission, which is to "help the citizens of Maryville (ages birth to death) succeed and enjoy life through reading, learning, creating, and connecting."

We thank Stephanie Patterson for taking the time to speak to our group and for providing so much useful information and insight.

Writing Group Calendar

To make information more accessible to the public regarding meetings and events related to writng, a Google Calendar has been set up for the Maryville Chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild, where meeting information will be posted, as well as member book signings, poetry readings, presentations, and special events, conferences, book launches, or special appearances that may be of interest to members. 

The Bad Taste of Book Stuffing

Book Stuffing - have you heard of it before? If you're a KDP author, you might want to find out why it's bad and why you shouldn't do it. It could get you into serious trouble. It could get you banned as an author in the Kindle Store. Others tried it. They and their books are banned now.

It's not new. Book stuffing has been going on for a while. I think I may have downloaded a book or two from Kindle authors who have engaged in this, whether deliberately or innocently I don't know. I will be deleting their content immediately, if not sooner.

Book stuffing is where page count in Kindle books is increased by tagging on at the end of the book file some samples of upcoming books or past books, and, in some cases entire books. The more pages of an author's work that gets read, you see, the more that Kindle author gets paid, under the KDP Select, and the higher they rise in the rankings. We're not just talking a few dollars. It's more like thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands of that now-$25 million pot of money from which KDP All Stars are paid. You've gotten the emails that are sent out to apprise KDP authors how the fund is growing.

Book stuffing is, at least, a violation of Amazon's (Kindle's) Terms of Service. Last year, a lawsuit was initiated against a self-publisher in the UK for engaging in this practice.

Book stuffing makes it difficult, if not nearly impossible, for honest authors, publishing one book at a time, who are enrolled in the KDP Select, to compete legitimately, unless they're writing 'War and Peace' length novels. Then, they might stand a chance. In July 2018, Amazon updated its terms. You may want to familiarize yourself with them again. 

It looks like Amazon has won some ground in this battle, and I encourage you to read up on this issue. Before stumbling across the Twitter posts linked at the top of this post, I had never heard of it. But, as with any good thing someone found a way to manipulate it to satiate their nefarious purposes. If you come across any authors doing this, it might be well to flag their e-book so Amazon can at least take a look at it and ensure that they're on the level playing field and not sending in 'ringers' to undermine the game.

April Meeting

The Next Meeting

The Maryville writer's group will next meet on January 23, 2018, on the 3rd floor of the United Methodist Church, First and Main in Maryville. (Use the northwest doors to access the elevator.)

The evening will be open for the critique of members' works in progress. Members may bring a poem, essay, article, or book excerpt for comment. The length of the submission should be 1,000 words or less. We will make an effort to get through as many as possible in the allotted time. If you wish to submit them ahead of time to give members a chance to read and think about them, please do. That will allow more time for discussion during the meeting time.

When critiquing a work, here are a few things to consider:

1. Be objective and forthright, but considerate.
2. Provide constructive suggestions for improvement.
3. Think about the construction, flow, technical aspects of the work being considered.
4. Give input on any emotions, if any, the piece elicits.
5. Is there a working title and does it fit the work?
6. Did it hold your attentions?
7. Based on the provided sample, would you read more?
8. Are there any word choices or phrases that might be improved?

Resources for Authors

Finding good research materials when writing historical fiction can be a challenge, depending on how far back your story is set. It's important to remember that the voices and experiences of those old settlers are not all together lost.
National, state, and county documents, letters, photographs, newspapers, and other items are being carefully preserved by agencies and historical societies, like our own Nodaway County Historical Society and the The State Historical Society of Missouri, as well as the US National Archives, The Library of Congress, National Park Service, and thousands of museums and libraries, and other online databases.
Google Books and Internet Archive are great places to read digitized books and publications, even those printed hundreds of years ago. I recently downloaded to my computer a few digitized books from the 1700s and 1800s. It's nice to have these keyword-searchable texts, and it's just plain fun to read them. They can help with character development, help focus an author's attention on the details of day-to-day life, and even provide authors with a more accurate perspective on the attitudes and politics and social norms of a given period.
So, if you're looking to pack some historical fact and detail into your next work of historical fiction, don't forget these resources. And, if you're writing nonfiction, you can't live without them.

#amwriting #fiction #nonfiction #books #readers #history #historical #database #Missouri #UnitedStates #Archives #journalism #newspapers

Congratulations to Our Local Readers!

Congratulations to all those who participated in the Summer Reading Program at the Maryville Public Library, Maryville, MO this summer. Wow, more than 10,000 books read. That's impressive. A special congratulations to the winners of the program awards.🏅We're proud of you all.

And a special thanks to the entire staff at the library that works so hard to make this program a success every year. We don't always say it, but you make the library a great place to be.

Keep turning those pages, readers, and we authors will keep writing so that you will have new stuff to read when you're ready.

#amwriting #fiction #nonfiction #authors #writers #library #readingchallenge#poetry

Maryville Daily Forum

Library names summer reading winners

MARYVILLE, Mo. — The Maryville Public Library’s Summer Reading Challenge drew more than 330 participants this year.

MARYVILLEDAILYFORUM.COM

Missouri's First Poet Laureate Reads Queen Anne's Lace

Missouri's first poet laureate, Walter Bargen, reads his poem, "Queen Anne's Lace." 

You will find this an interesting video. If you love poetry and you're in the area of the Mid-Missouri Arts Alliance on August 13, 2017, you might want to check out their upcoming event, Through the Eyes of a Poet. You can also find them on their website, here.

Kelsey Noble is Blooming With Books!

We are pleased to announce Kelsey Noble is the final winner of the Blooming With Books basket donated by the Maryville Chapter of the Missouri Writer's Guild. Enjoy the basket of books and goodies Kelsey. We're sure you'll find hours of entertainment inside. Congratulations!

Author's Showcase at Maryville Hy-Vee

8-9 a.m. Susan Cronk, Richard Eisenberg, Lee Jackson

9-10 a.m. Richard, Lee, and Don and Sue Nothstine

10-11 a.m. Richard, Don and Sue, Amy Houts

11 a.m.-Noon Don and Sue, Amy

Noon-1 p.m. Carol Carpenter

1-2 p.m. Irene Alexander

2-4 p.m. Susan Cronk

Melinda Cordell -- Speaker -- November 29, 2016

The Maryville Chapter of the Missouri Writer's Guild will meet at 7 p.m. at the Alumni House on the south side of the Northwest Missouri State University campus. Our guest speaker for the meeting will be Melinda Cordell.

Melinda's first book, Courageous Women of the Civil War: Soldiers, Spies, Medics, and More, ($19.99 MG/YA nonfiction, was released by Chicago Review Press in 2016.

Since that time, Ms. Cordell has published two additional books. The first is titled

Angel in the Whirlwind, released on Amazon on September 2, 2016. It is a YA/NA short story collection about loneliness and change, and the angel in the middle of it all, waiting to guide you to a better life. 

Ms. Cordell's third book is titled Don't Throw in the Trowel! A Month-by-Month Guide to Vegetable Gardening. It was released in October of 2016. 

(From the author) This is the first book in my Easygrowing Garden Series. I used to be the gardening columnist for the St. Joseph News-Press, and the municipal horticulturist for the St. Joseph Parks and Rec department, so I might know a thing or two about gardening. The next books will be about roses, annuals and perennials, trees and shrubs, houseplants, soil building, and maybe growing with native species.We are pleased to have Melinda Cordell joining us for the November meeting. We hope you will come out and hear what she has to say.

Upcoming Author Book Signing/Museum Fundraiser

Special Exhibit, Local Authors, and Yummy Treats!

There will be a Christmas bake sale, coffee shop, and author event at the Nodaway County Historical Society museum on Saturday, December 5th from 9am-3pm. Come enjoy visiting with your friends while you enjoy coffee and cinnamon rolls. Visitors can purchase homemade baked goods like cookies, candy, pies, and other goodies and take a stroll around the museum to see exhibits on many topics, such as women in Nodaway County, a Presidential campaign button collection, and cameras, mule and horse-raising families in the region, and new displays in the music room.

Several local authors will be there to sell their books. A portion of proceeds go to the historical society. These local authors will visit with readers during the following hours, and other authors may be added at a later time. Larry Anderson will be there for the whole event, Amy Houts from 9 to 10, Susan Cronk, Sue Nothstine, and Irene Alexander from 10 to 12, Jason Offutt from 1 to 3, and Bob Bohlken from 1 to 2.

You also can enjoy a new special exhibit titled "Dark Happenings in Nodaway County," created by Catherine Gast, a senior Public History student at Northwest Missouri State University. Under the direction of Dr. Elyssa Ford, the Public History program director, Gast has put together an exhibit showcasing some of Nodaway County's famous crimes. More than just highlighting these events and their gruesome nature, this exhibit explains what led to the killings, how the community reacted to them, and the way in which these crimes have impacted the area. Gast will be at the museum from 10 to 1 to talk about her exhibit and answer any visitor questions.

All proceeds from this event will benefit the museum, and donations are always welcome, as the museum receives no tax support and relies on volunteers and donations. The museum will close for the winter to save on utility costs following this event. If you are unable to attend this event, please visit when the museum reopens March 1, 2016. Regular hours are 1 to 4, Tuesdays through Fridays and other times by appointment. The museum is located at the corner of Walnut and West First Streets in Maryville, MO. Call 660-582-8176 or 660-582-8687 with any questions.

Visiting Author Anna Loan-Wilsey

On Saturday, November 14, 2015 author Anna Loan-Wilsey gave an excellent presentation on the subject of researching and writing the historical mystery. She is the author of the Hattie Davish historical mystery series published through Kensington Publishing Corporation.

A more detailed perspective of the event may be found in the Maryville Daily Forum article by reporter Jennifer Ditlevson-Haglund.

A Deceptive Homecoming is the author's latest release. It is set in the town of St. Joseph, Missouri. Readers familiar with the cityscape will likely recognize the locations referenced. The author is currently working on the fifth book in the series, which will take place in Washington, D.C.

The Maryville Chapter of the Missouri Writer's Guild is grateful to Anna for taking time to give this presentation and we wish her the very best success in her continuing series of mysteries.

Maryville Authors Sign Copies at Hy-Vee Store

Maryville area authors were graciously hosted at the Maryville Hy-Vee store on Saturday, April 25, 2015. Everyone had a great time. Here are just a few pictures from the store's Facebook page.

Author Nancy Lantz signing a book. 

Author Carol Coffelt

Author/Publisher Lee Jackson

Author Bob Bohlken and wife, Mary.