Sonia Marsh - Gutsy Living

Life's too short to play it safe

You are here: Home / Archives for Blogging-Social Media

Indie Authors Can’t do it all. When to get help?

by 2 Comments

Jason Matthews, founder of Indie Authors show

Jason Matthews started a wonderful show to help indie authors every Monday night at 6pm PST. The show is streamed live, and covers different topics every week. He asked me to host his show on Monday, October 22nd.

If you’re an indie author (a fancier word for self-published) or you’re thinking about becoming one, you may want to listen to an amazing panel of indie authors.

Sonia Marsh: Host for Indie Authors # 33

Sonia Marsh
Topic “Indie Authors Can’t do it all; When to get help?”
Topics and watch video below

 

Belinda Nicoll

Juanima Hiatt

Kathleen Pooler

Sharon Lippincott

 

You want to indie-publish your book, that’s wonderful, but are you sure you have all the skills you need to do the following?

  • Start a blog and build your platform
  • Design your author website
  • Edit your manuscript
  • Proof read your manuscript
  • Design your cover
  • Format your book
  • Promote your book
  • Use social media effectively
  • Get book reviews and endorsements.

Please listen to our panel of 5 indie authors, 4 published and one in the process, and get helpful information on what we’ve done.

Here’s another video for Indie Authors about social media, that Jason Matthews hosted.

You might want to join us on Gutsy Indie Publishers on Facebook. This is a place where all indie authors get together to answer our questions and help one another find solutions.

Share any questions you may have about indie publishing with us below.

***

Do you have a “My Gutsy Story” you’d like to share?

To submit your own, “My Gutsy Story” you can find all the information, and our sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here.

Three other October stories are up. So far we have Duke Marsh “My Gutsy Story” and Don Darkes “My Gutsy Story,” and Kim Brower’s “My Gutsy Story,” Doreen Cox “My Gutsy Story.”

I hope you enjoy the “My Gutsy Story” series and share with others through the links below. Perhaps you’d like to submit your own. Thanks.


Blogging is like online dating: you connect and meet in person.

by

 Muriel and Sonia

Have you ever felt like you know more about your online friends  than your neighbors?

Muriel and I arranged to meet at the Paddington station in London, 6000 miles from Orange County,California, where I live.

“I’ll be wearing a red coat,” she said.

“I’ll be wearing a fuschia jacket,” I replied, knowing full well that we’d find one another as we’ve seen photos on our respective  blogs. In fact, Muriel, submitted a “My Gutsy Story” and I’ve enjoyed her sense of humor. She loves to analyze the Brits from her own French background and makes fun of herself, her accent, and often mentions what her British-raised daughters say about their French mum.

Even without our colored coats and jackets, we would have found one another when I got off the train. Muriel looked exactly as she did on her blog and off we headed to “Little Venice” for lunch.

Muriel in Little Venice, London

Muriel picked an Italian restaurant overlooking the canals. It was 11:40 a.m., and the restaurant was empty. How nice, I thought, we could get any table we wanted until the waiter said, “Sorry, we don’t open for another twenty minutes.”

Sonia in front of a small houseboat in Little venice, London

I’d forgotten the less flexible hours for lunch and dinner in Paris and London restaurants.

“Let’s have a coffee at Starbucks,” Muriel suggested as it was right next door. Apparently coffees are automatically served in ceramic cups, not paper ones, when you say, it’s for here. The Brits and French prefer the real cup experience, and so do I. Getting cream in your coffee does not appear to be common though. Whenever I asked for it at Starbucks in Paris or London, they offered whipped cream, not half and half. It seems to be hidden in the back kitchen somewhere.

We were both eager to talk about blogging and writing, and Muriel shared her ideas about a book she’d like to write. I thought she should write a memoir about life in the U.K. as seen through the  eyes of a French woman. I know she has numerous stories and themes on her blog: FrenchYummyMummy, and these funny stories would make a great memoir.

 

Muriel Demarcus

How far have you traveled to meet a blogger friend?

 

Meeting Blogger friends

 

A New Google + “Hangout” for Indie Authors

by

Jason Matthews

Jason Matthews, author, and blogger on ebooksuccess4free, invited several bloggers to share their blogging tips on his show: “Indie Authors with Jason Matthews and AC Cruz.” I was fortunate to be one of them.

We had a nice panel of authors sharing their blogging journey and Jason asked us many questions which you will find interesting.

 

A new topic is covered each Monday on this Google + Hangout, and I hope you subscribe to the “Indie Authors with Jason Matthews and AC Cruz.”

Don’t forget, a new “My Gutsy Story” this Monday, and this time, it’s a man’s story. More on Monday.

Also if you’re an indie author, why not join our new GIP (Gutsy Indie Publishers) group on Facebook. If you need help getting your book published and have questions, or if you’re a professional copy editor, PR consultant, manuscript editor, book shepherd, or anything related to writing and publishing, you are welcome to join forces and help.

In the meantime, please leave comments for Jason Matthews and any of us on the show below, including topic ideas for other Indie Author shows you may be interested in learning more about.

 

 

Podcast your way to a bigger audience for your book or blog

by

 

Just finished a fantastic interview with Dave Thackeray, The Podcast Guy. THANK YOU!

Bob @Satisfying Retirement and Stephanie @Blog in France, Dave answered your questions on the podcast. Please read the introduction on “A Gutsy Way to Grab More Readers.”

Thanks Dave, and I shall get a transcription of the podcast so you can also read the interview.

Join Dave on FaceBook, and Twitter. He is super helpful and friendly.

Be Gutsy and get started on spreaker.com At least check out the tutorials.

I’m going to record the first chapter of my book: Freeways-to Flip-Flops ASAP.

Any comments? Please leave below.

Suprise!

Dave has kindly agreed to sponsor the “My Gutsy Story” contest, not once, but twice, so two lucky winners can get a free 30-minute consultation with Dave about growing their audience through podcasting.

No excuses now so come over and submit your own, “My Gutsy Story.” You can find all the information, and our sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here.

***

Finally, remember to vote for your favorite February “My Gutsy Story” You can read all four here. The winner will be announced on Thursday, March 15th.

A Gutsy way to grab more readers

by

Dave the Podcast Guy

 

Do you want to kick things up a notch? Want to be more “Gutsy” in what you do online?

  • Start Podcasting

Tomorrow I get a chance to interview the expert on Podcasting, Dave Thackeray, The Podcast Guy, who is charming, energetic and fun. You’ll love his accent; it’s more British than mine.

If you don’t know what Podcasting is, Dave will explain, but in the meantime, think of it as:

  • “A way to turbo-charge your static content.” Dave Thackeray, The Podcast Guy

My focus will be on asking Dave how you as a  blogger, writer, or a published author can use podcasting as an extra tool (more engaging than simply writing) to connect with your audience.

After all, we’re all nosy aren’t we? We like to hear people’s “live” voice, especially writers we enjoy.

  • So you think you have nothing to say?

Don’t worry, Dave is an expert at finding “the expert in you.”

  • Do you have any specific questions you’d like me to ask Dave on your behalf?

Please leave them for me, and I shall ask him tomorrow, via Skype, when I speak to him in his office in Liverpool, U.K.

In the meantime, you can check out a brief overview on Dave’s blog called, “New to Podcasting?”

I shall let you know when the podcast will be ready for you to click on.

Thanks, and be Gutsy.

I want to thank Annabel Candy for her great post on podcasting and for putting me in touch with Dave Thackeray.

 

 

Latest from the blog

Top Posts