Sonia Marsh - Gutsy Living

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A Gutsy Pubslush Campaign

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http://GutsyLiving.pubslush.com
Click on Photo to see my Pubslush Campaign

Asking for help is not easy, especially for someone like me who believes that I should be able to do everything myself.

I admit,  I cannot do it all alone, and so I’m asking you for your support.

By support I mean:

Anything you can to support and spread my Pubslush campaign to the world

I made a short video with 8 super “Gutsy” people which explains the campaign, and the rewards are listed on my Pubslush page.

The link is : www.GutsyLiving.Pubslush.com

I admit this is the first event I’ve put together and I want to do it RIGHT.

You see, I feel a great deal of responsibility towards my fellow authors (64 of them) who have contributed their “My Gutsy Story®” to the launch of our first: My Gutsy Story® Anthology: True Stories of Love, Courage and Adventure from Around the World

In order to make the our September 26th, “Bring Out the Gutsy in You” Anthology launch a huge success:

I need your help in spreading the news, and supporting the event, and there are “Gutsy” rewards based on your help.
  • We have a professional film company to film our panel of “Gutsy People” and wish to share the video after the event.
  • We have a famous keynote speaker, Marybeth Bond, the Gutsy Traveler.
  • A professional photographer will take photos of people attending our event and those will be shared.
  • We are renting a movie the Regency South Coast Village Movie theater.
  • We have refreshments and a no host bar.
  • We are donating part of proceeds to WomanSage, a non-profit that helps women in transition, and I feel this is a great cause to support.

If you have any questions, please contact me at sonia@soniamarsh. com

I was interviewed by Maria Hall Brown on local PBS SoCal TV “Real Orange” yesterday and mentioned the event. It shall air tonight on PBS SoCal around 5:20-5:25 pm PDT. Please check out your local channels listing.

Maria Hall Brown PBS SoCal- "Real Orange" and Sonia after my interview.
Maria Hall Brown PBS SoCal- “Real Orange” and Sonia after my interview.

Here are more photos from the studio yesterday. So much fun.

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 I’m at Costco in Irvine, hope to see you on August 24th, from 11 am-2 pm (MAP) 

Book signing of my memoir: Freeways to Flip-Flops.

115 Technology Drive,

Irvine, CA 92618

Do you know someone “Gutsy” in your community?

We need your help. Please nominate a “Gutsy” person in one of the following locations.

  • Orange County
  • San Diego
  • Los Angeles
Send us the name, and a 200 word max. e-mail about why this person is “Gutsy.”

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

Would you like to submit your “My Gutsy Story®” and get  published in our 2nd anthology?

Please see guidelines below and contact Sonia Marsh at: sonia@soniamarsh.com for details.

You can find all the information, and our new sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story®” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here.

Janet Givens is our first “My Gutsy Story®” for the month of August, Suellen Zima is second and Terri Elders is our third author of the month.

 

 

 

Share One Sentence & One Photo About You

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Share One Sentence & One Photo About You

 

  • Is there something “Gutsy” you really want to do? What is it?
  • Is there something “Gutsy” you’ve already done? What is it?
  • Is there something “Gutsy” you regret not doing? What is it?

Please answer in no more than 25 words the above question. (Answer only one of the 3 questions.) Please send a photo of you to go along with your answer.

My Answer: I wish I’d become an international journalist to help the public understand global issues. (Christiane Amanpour, is my gutsy hero.)

Sonia -2
Reflecting on a career as an international journalist.

I’m putting a short video together with “gutsy” dreams of people around the world, and wish to share these in my video. Please e-mail me at: Sonia@soniamarsh.com with your (one sentence-one photo contribution.) I shall notify you if your sentence is selected. The sooner you send it, the better your chances of being selected.

This video will be no more than 1minute 30 seconds, so please keep it brief.

I am starting a Pubslush campaign next week, offering various “Gutsy” levels of incentives. I hope you’ll be interested in seeing the fun, final video and more on the incentives. (Updates coming soon.)

If selected, your sentence and photo will be featured, and your website link. Click here to read more about the event.

The goal of the My Gutsy Story® Anthology series is to build a safe community aimed at helping one another overcome life’s challenges, encourage adventure and grow stronger with the knowledge that there are always options in life.

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VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE JULY “My Gutsy Story®.”
(One Vote per person on the sidebar.)
The voting has started for your favorite July 2013 “My Gutsy Story®.” You have 2 weeks to vote. The winner will be announced on August 15th and gets to select a prize from our sponsors.

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

Would you like to submit your “My Gutsy Story®” and get  published in our 2nd anthology?

Please see guidelines below and contact Sonia Marsh at: sonia@soniamarsh.com for details.

You can find all the information, and our new sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story®” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here.

Janet Givens is our first “My Gutsy Story®” for the month of August.

Next Monday, August 12th, look for Suellen Zima’s story.

Gutsy Flip-Flops and Toenail Contests

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Sonia wearing her favorite flip-flops

Be Gutsy and join our summer flip-flops and painted toenail contest. Be different, daring and bold.

  • JOIN THE FLIP-FLOPS CONTEST and send your photos to: flipflopcontest@gmail.com
  • JOIN THE PAINTED TOE NAIL CONTEST and send your photos to: withoutaspare@gmail.com
  • You can double your chances to win and enter both

My blogger friend Bonnie Kassel suggested this great summer contest. You may remember reading her My Gutsy Story®, “Crossing the Sahara” in a VW Bug.

Bonnie's feet
Bonnie’s painted toe-nails
  • Sonia is judging photos sent to the “Bare Feet in Flip-Flops” contest. (Be different, daring and bold.)
  • Bonnie is judging photos sent to the “Bare Feet With Polished Toes” contest (Be different, daring and bold.)

Contest Dates:  June 20th-July3rd.
3 winners in each category:  Announced on my blog on Thursday, July 4th.
Send Flip-Flop photos to: flipflopcontest@gmail.com
Send Bare Feet with Polished Toes photos to: withoutaspare@gmail.com

PRIZES:

Top 3 winners in flip-flops category get a copy of  Sonia’s memoir: Freeways to Flip-Flops: A Family’s Year of Gutsy Living on a Tropical Island.

FFlipFlops-s Cover Small. 432x648

Top 3 winners in painted-toe nail category get a copy of Bonnie Kassel’s memoir: Without a Spare.

Bonnie Kassel Book Cover

BONUS PRIZE:  A pair of flip-flops and nail polish to the winner in each of the two categories.

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE SPECIAL EVENT TO LAUNCH OF OUR FIRST “My Gutsy Story®” ANTHOLOGY, ON SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2013, IN ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. Click here for your invitation.

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

NOW is the time to submit your “My Gutsy Story®,” to be considered for our 2nd Anthology.  Please see guidelines below and contact Sonia Marsh at: sonia@soniamarsh.com for details.

You can find all the information, and our new sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story®” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here

June 2013 “My Gutsy Story®” stories

  1. Mary Hamer’s 
  2. Dixie Diamanti
  3. Pennie James

Monday, June 24th, Jennifer Richardson

Polls open to vote for your favorite June “My Gutsy Story®” starts on June 27th- July 10th. Winner announced on July 11th.

How Does an Author Find Readers and Turn Them into Fans?

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Subscribe to my blog

As an author, you want to create an audience of readers or shall I say, “fans.”

How do you do this?

Let’s look at one person who is a genius, and has created a huge tribe of fans: Chris Guillebeau. 

In my opinion Chris is likeable, down-to-earth, approachable, giving, innovative, extremely interesting and he’s tapped into a dream that so many of us have: to leave our cubicle job and follow something we’re passionate about.  Carol Bodensteiner did that as well.

So how can you find readers and turn them into your fans? I believe there are many ways you can do this:

  • Through your core message, and your personality. What is the main thing you want people to know about you?
  • Can you help your fans in one way or another? As an author, does your story motivate people, inspire them to change, or give them step-by-step tips on a specific topic?
  • Does your blog offer some “killer” content your fans are dying to read?
  • Ask your fans to sign your guest book during your book events.
  • Collect e-mails when fans sign up for the raffle.
  • Ask fans to “like”  your Facebook page.
  • Start connecting with your Twitter fans.
  • Connect with your fans on LinkedIn.
  • Meet real people through networking, not  just online fans.
  • Your Book Club events.
  • Your Library events.
  • Your Meetup Group events.
  • The Clubs you speak at like: Rotary clubs, women’s clubs, writers’ clubs etc.
  • Through giving a FREE GIFT and asking people to subscribe in exchange.

But here’s the dilemma. What do your readers, fans, subscribers want to know?

When I read newsletters, many of them are requests to sign up for a webinar or a course, which I have to pay for, and how I’ll miss out big time, if I don’t.

So how do you make your newsletter fresh, exciting and different? Should you include the usual:

  • Links to recent blog posts
  • Lists of your upcoming events or workshops
  • Photos of you at your events
  • Other books you’re working on
  • Your videos and podcasts

Do your readers want:

  • Something new and different or the same?

Most of us receive tons of e-mails, newsletters, requests, etc., and

I believe readers want to know something about the author, his/her life, writing, goals, travels etc. 

So why not ask your readers directly?

  • What do you want to know about me?

I’ve collected e-mail addresses for months, but have not plucked up the courage to send out a newsletter. My dilemma is what to put in a newsletter that one of my kind fans signed up for?

I shall give a free copy of my book to anyone who asks me an interesting question with links back to them in an upcoming newsletter.

You can either ask your question in the comment section below, or e-mail me at sonia@soniamarsh.com. Thanks so much and please comment on your own experiences with newsletters you write or receive.

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

NOW is the time to submit your “My Gutsy Story®.” Please see guidelines below and contact Sonia Marsh at: sonia@soniamarsh.com for details.

Please read and share our April 2013 stories by David Prosser, Win Charles, and Carol Bodensteiner.

Voting starts on May 2nd-May 15th.

You can find all the information, and our new sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story®” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here

 

 

Should Authors Respond To Amazon Reviewers?

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Kim Bank of Books
Kim from Bank of Books in Malibu, CA reviewed my book

Why do we respond to people who leave comments on our blogs, and yet we ignore comments from our readers on Amazon? Isn’t this exactly the opposite of what social media is all about?

  • It’s all about connections and forming relationships.

So why do we ignore our readers, those who spend precious hours, days and months reading and reviewing our books? This makes no sense to me.
Some of the reviews I’ve received on Amazon are better than any synopsis I could have written myself. The language, descriptions and summaries target the message and essence of my memoir in such a way that I’m envious of the reviewer.

  • “Why couldn’t I write that?” I ask myself.

I’ve heard editors say that it’s easier to have someone else write your synopsis for you, and after reading most of my reviews, I agree.

  • Why aren’t we putting in the effort to connect with our readers?
  • Should we simply ignore them?

Bonnie Kassel  a “My Gutsy Story®,” contributor introduced me to Ionia Martin, one of the top 500 Amazon reviewers. I contacted her and she not only gave me an amazing 5 star review on Amazon, but also wrote about Freeways to Flip-Flops on her blog which I am so grateful for.

Ionia Martin is a book reviewer, mother of four and a Ph.D. student in the field of brain and cognitive Science. She has a passion for books, music and photography. When she doesn’t have her nose buried in a book, she likes to spend time working on her charity, dedicated to animal welfare, which should be in full operation late this year. You can find her at http://readfulthingsblog.com or at Twitter via @readfulthings

I asked her a few questions about whether or not to respond to reviewers and she mentioned there are varied opinions about whether or not an author should respond to comments at all.

The main reason why authors don’t respond is that they’re afraid:

  • I might look too “indie” if I respond to my Amazon reviewers.

But Ionia said that many big name authors respond to her reviews, and that simple variations on comments such as : ” thank you so much for taking the time to read my work,” show that you value the readers’ time.

  • Be polite, even to those who leave negative comments, and don’t say too much.

I think it boils down to “connecting” with your readers and as we know with blogging, the more comments, the better.

So from now on, I’ve decided to respond to my reviewers on Amazon. How far back should I go? Not sure, but I shall start slowly and see what happens.

What about you?

(I added this after writing the original post.)

Guess what I did? I called Amazon Author Central and asked them if it’s OK to respond to reviewers’ comments, and to thank them, or if they consider this “spam” or self-promotion, as Suzy mentioned on my blog post. They said, “Sure you can respond to reviewers’ comments.” I asked if they had stats on how many authors respond to comments; they don’t.

Please VOTE for your favorite March “My Gutsy Story®” Scroll Down on Sidebar (right underneath the Anthology Book Cover) to Vote. Only ONE vote each.

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

NOW is the time to submit your “My Gutsy Story®.” Please see guidelines below and contact Sonia Marsh at: sonia@soniamarsh.com for details.

You can find all the information, and our new sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story®” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here

Our first “My Gutsy Story®” for April 3013, is by David Prosser. It’s a very moving story about his wife Julia.


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