Most of you know I am an advocate for advertising what is great on Gather, and I have said that networking is what will help get your articles read. Well, I thought what better way to encourage this concept than to create a blog where Gather members can come advertise their own work or someone else's that they read and thought was great? After all, we have "Our Editors' Pick," but they can only list so many, and often some really good articles, stories, poems . . . get lost in the Gather shuffle. So, here is where Gather members can tell about what they think is great on Gather - their own or someone else's!
Here is how it will work:
If you are the author:
Give us a link and a synopsis to tell us WHY we should come read your article/story . . .
Example: Hi everyone! I have an awesome short story that I think you will really like. It is called Wedding Day - Psychological drama - Dreams have troubled Mary throughout her life, giving her qualms about marriage. Come become Mary and experience these dreams as she prepares for her wedding day.
If you are the reader:
First, tell the author on his/her article story/poem . . . that you are linking to them here as a Member's Pick. Then come here and give us a link to the article story/poem . . . and a synopsis to tell us WHY we should come.
Example: If you want a great laugh, you must go read my dear friend, Carolyn Madden's (from Australia) latest article: .. with that she glided from the room. Carolyn's voice (not literal - the way she writes lol) will make you laugh and want to read more. In this article Carolyn discusses how an author misuses certain words and other funny things. It's a must read!
Remember, the idea is that you are ADVERTISING – so try to give information, but not too much information. Anything over three paragraphs is starting to become its own article. We do need to be tempted though. If you give just a link, you may not get much of a response.
Also, if you went to the link and liked it, come back and say so! If the link is broken, say so! Help your fellow Gather member. If someone doesn't know how to do a link and you do – add a link for him or her! Your kindness will come back to you.
Now, if you need to know how to add links, go to Seth William's article, How to Format Your Comments. I have a great cheat sheet to use in conjunction with Seth's article. If you'd like it (Word format only) please send me an e-mail – thxformemories@earthlink.net.
That is how it will work! Come here to get and give ideas on what is great here at Gather! Thanks for sharing!
So what is your Member's Pick?
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Comments: 37
Thank you for doing this!
I think Pam summed up the devastating truth about this syndrome best in her article, Life with Olivia (a true story) Part 2 : "Zellweger Syndrome offers no hope for survival: zero, zilch, nada, none. It's a devastating disease that kills 100 percent of its victims. It's just a matter of time." After hearing such words, it is understandable why there would be a need for a support group for these families. Come watch a video about the Zellweger babies, and also see a video about Olivia's life, linked in the comments section, if you like. I highly recommend it!
SIBLING TORTURE--Stephen Schneider
Sibling Torture: Life (and Almost Death) with Bully
Sibling Torture - An Art Perfected Through the Generations
Sibling Torture - Bonnie Ladick: Message to Elisa
Now, I have not read them all yet, and I cannot link to them all, but these stand out to me as really good ones not to be missed!
Kewl stuff, Darlin'. Thx! I have a problem for you. Ready?
Why can't I use the same entry (link format entry you gave me) when I attempt to put a link into the text of one of my articles? Yikes.
I mean - It works fine when I'm inserting it into one of my "comments", but for some reason, it won't work in one of my articles. I tried to link my recent poem on "Sibling Torture" to your article about the "Two Words Challenge" and it simply would not work.
What am I doing wrong here?
Thanks Doll!
Hey, it's a microcosm of the real world, right? You could win the Nobel Prize for literature, but some rag in Podunk, South Nowhere would give you a bad rating or review.
I take my low ratings as "character building" LOL! (if I ever catch that character, I wanna kick his or her butt)
Great idea Monica!
Ron - this is here so you can advertise anything you may think is great but not getting proper notice. On an article, all we can do is say our two cents and add a rating and hope that works. We can go from person to person telling them to go read something, but that takes a lot of time. This gives us a place to recommend and be recommended. I love finding great new people to read and connect with! I really hope people will post some awesome links here!
I have some awesome ideas for the next two Words. But I guess I need to honor the last one then start a new one before I mention it! HUGS TO YOU ALL!
Oh that reminds me ... The best part of Gather is the Writers!
I'm really proud of my "Greatest Love Stories" submission. It was a story that needed to be told.
Would be honored if you would read and comment!
It's called Regret.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for this idea. It's nice that you have given voice to your fellow Gatherers. You are so special.
Here's a nice article my friend Mike B wrote:
World Class Parties
He and his wife, Lisa have made it their passion to seek out and find one World Class Party every year and then attend that party. It's a passion that has taken them all over the world and this particular time it led them to New Orleans. You can also click onto their other articles and read about "Running with the bulls" in Spain and their Harley Party that occured right before their running with the bulls. Great stuff....and GREAT PICS!!!
Have fun and thanks again.
Now with my innate male inability to follow directions I shall have one hell of a time ....
Earlier you were talking about ratings. Why not just a 'Recommend', or 'Not Recommend'? Why is it a score? I always give people a '10'. Why not?
Spencer - I recommended that that about ratings too - but I don't think it went too far!
Beryl - Thank you and bless you too!
Now - for a recommendation:
If you are write short stories, did you know there is a Short Story Writers Group here that will critique each other's work? Just add the tag "storywritersgroup" to anything you want to be critiqued. Check it out! I am going to participate and think it sounds fun!
I responded to Spencer Breau's article and frustration: I agree ratings are the wrong reason to write. In fact, sometimes I have forgotten to click a rating before I posted to an article I was really excited to post to! I think the act of posting alone and the quantity not quality of comments a post inspires should be the basis for the rating system, no other subjective criteria.
You say that "If you are the author; Give us a link and a synopsis to tell us WHY we should come read your article/story. . . ." My question is: where should we put this link? If we post a new article advertising our own work or that of others we admire with the necessary link, why is it more likely to be read than any other article we post?
ps: I agree 10,000% about Ms Madden's article. I'll still be grinning when I go to bed tonight. The advertising worked in this case.