Dear Alison and friends, I planned to talk about the Monroe County Book Expo last Saturday and all about my book display and how to setup book displays and where to buy all the swag for it, but something else came to mind, so I will write that planned post, another day... For this post, I wanted to talk about the Pros and Cons of Critique Groups vs. Hiring a Writing Coach. Last night, I taught a Nuts and Bolts class for beginner writers. I love teaching beginner writers--they're so excited about their writing and getting published, but as we know, the reality after five years together is that it ain't easy. There's actually a hell of a lot more stuff about writing and the steps to publication than I ever imagined when I first started. I shared my battle scars, errr... knowledge with them, and I thought to myself, "Kim, you should share your insight with all your readers too." So Writer, you’ve written a manuscript. You’ve read, revised,...