You and I both know that gaining exposure is imperative to success as an artist. Earning an income from our art is not an easy road. Thinking outside the square I have decided to use my graphic design skills to help us all by putting together a few well designed and helpful On-line book that will increase the audience we all need to increase sales.

I am going to offer all artist contributors to share in the profits as the intention is to get the books (and our art) out everywhere to maximize exposure for everyone and increase our painting sales and commissions.

• I believe that marketing your art in solitude is not as effective as joining forces.
  
• Putting together a book on my own is a big job if I have to create all the content myself.
• I love painting, but I also love my graphics job and writing. It is kind of an obsession of mine. I love doing this sort of thing and I would like to share what I can with my art friends and community.
• I will also earn extra income and promote my work (equally)
  
• AND being in a flashy book is VERY VERY COOL!

I am looking for a variety of mediums and styles but I want your best work. This book needs to be of value to the purchaser and a compliment to you as a capable artist. In saying that, the book is open to up and coming artists as well as the professional so don’t be afraid to have a go. Like I said send YOUR BEST EXAMPLES and I will endeavour to include as many as I can across the board. The e-book will include a tutorial or demonstration by you and a big promotion on you and your art.

I am calling for book submissions and tutorials for the following:

• Art in traditional mediums
• Illustration

I am very excited about this idea as I am sure you will be too.
If you want to be included in a book go to the submission page here and fill in your contact details so I can send you all the information you need to add your art and promotional details and information on book commissions. I want to get this out ASAP so as soon as there are enough entries I will be putting it together so don’t miss out. Go now to the submission page to add your name and your art in this book.

I look forward to helping you promote your art.

There is no point crying over spilt milk right? Then what about crying over weeks and weeks of lost work???

Last week I had decided to finish off and launch a few projects I had spent quite some time on this year. One was an art e-book on Safety for artists, another art book on Artists Pitfalls and how to avoid them and also a whole lot of art teaching material complete with an art teaching web site ready to launch.

Unfortunately a few months back I had difficulty installing and updating my software and I had to save all my documents onto a borrowed external hard drive and reformat my PC. I did this and thought I had transferred everything back BUT not all of it did! Maybe I hit the ’17 hour day/2am and I am tired’ button. Thank goodness I back up my client’s graphics and web sites more than one way.

I am only now discovering what was lost and you guessed it…quite a bit! Oh the hours I spent on those art books! I have searched through all my backup discs and most of my hard copies. I found one other art e-book in hard copy I thought I had lost. At least I can re-type that book but as for the rest; I am still hoping my other art books and art teaching material will magically appear. I have been a brave girl and no tears shed, but as the character Homer Simpson says ‘DOH!”

So for all the people waiting for the first e-book I promised (Artist’s Pitfalls) I apologise.

And what now?

I do have other great material and I will get this moving as quickly as I can.
You can also look forward to an interesting newsletter this month (That is if you have signed up for it!)
I also have some great news to post later this week that will interest any artist wanting to promote their work to a wider audience and make extra income as well. I am very excited about it too as you will be once I tell you so don’t miss that post!

If you are like me and keeping track of things needs to be easy then sign up for my RSS feeds to be notified of my posts as they happen. You don’t want to miss out do you? :-)

Hi all,

I wanted to share this with all my blogging readers and those who are considering blogging or wanting to increase their profits on line. Why?

Because if you are going to spend many hours on a blog you may want to turn your blogging into a financial avenue to compensate for your time or you may want to consider how to add products to your art web site that help promote your paintings.

In any case you will find this blog very useful and I would highly recommend you subscribe to it as Aaron has some very valuable and free advice for his subscribers that apply to any on-line business (not just bloggers). Out of curiosity I subscribed but have been very glad I did. Not many subscriptions have exceptional value but his does.

I originally and recently stumble onto Aaron's blog via a helpful post he made on the Aweber blog. I was so grateful I took the time to subscribe to this blog because in the little time I have been receiving his emails and offers I have already learnt so many helpful tips that I have applied to my own business.

I have spoken before on artist's neglecting the potential of the Internet and the benefits of Aweber which has been a great tool for running my emails, newsletters and subscribers. I wouldn't be without it. You can read my post here:
http://kayleenwest.blogspot.com/2007/09/artists-need-audience-so-now-what.html

and here: http://kayleenwest.blogspot.com/2007/03/artists-neglect-potential-of-internet.html

Below is a post from his Blog which is another area worth looking into:
(Permission to post by Aaron Abber)

FullTiltBlogging.com is officially now…

The Best Blog on the Interwebs

Don’t get me wrong—the content here has always been some of the best around, but there was something missing.

I had several goals for this blog when I started it. I wanted it to be a place where you could get cutting edge information you weren’t getting anywhere else. I wanted it to be a place where you get encouragement to help you through the tough times inherent in any business. I wanted it to be a place where people got to know one another and could help and encourage one another.

And I wanted it to be fun

I’m accomplishing the first goal. Lead Blogging is a new concept to even some “seasoned” bloggers and this is the place to go to learn about it. You’re not going to hear that anywhere else.

The second and third goals are coming together, though I want to provide more in the way of inspirational stories. The mentoring program folks have a good time together on Monday nights, and with some recent changes in the program I expect that to be even better.

But it’s not fun enough.

I spend most of my posts talking about very technical and specific aspects of your business. While that is helpful, it’s kinda dry.

Today that changes.

This Time It’s Personal

From now on every weekday or so I will rant or comment on the latest things, tell you about my internet lifestyle, and tell you about others who are succeeding on the web all in my own unique, humorous and often sarcastic way.

You will enjoy it.

I won’t stop giving you instructions on how to build your own business, but I will make those available as downloads rather than as posts. The same quality info, just more fun.

I’ll incorporate the daily blog summary into my daily post with my personal comments on those lesser blog’s posts.

All the Cool Kids are Doing It

Reading this blog will not only be the most entertaining part of your day, you will quickly discover this will be the most profitable blog you will ever read. After all, the purpose of a business is to make a profit.

Unless you are a total moron you need to go sign up for my email or RSS list. Now.

Be looking for a post from me tomorrow entitled “Stupid, Sneaky, No-Good Subscribers”

You’ll love it.

This post is by Aaron Abber. Aaron is the owner of http://www.FullTiltBlogging.com where he teaches bloggers just like you how to make money blogging. Go there now to pick up his latest book “How to Retire on 200 Blog Visitors a Day” free.

The Golf Fib
By
Gregory K.

Drive.
Putt.
That’s it.
Golf’s simple!
The best game by far!
(As long as I’m ignoring “par.”)


This week's Poetry Friday roundup is over at The Literary Safari.

HOME RUN
by
Gregory K.

Swing.
Crack!
Fly ball.
Going deep.
What a sight I see...
Just the back of the left fielder.


Baseball is my favorite sport, it's true. This Fib comes not so much from memory, but from a feeling this scrappy leadoff hitting second baseman wished he had more often!

(I'm posting an original poem-a-day through April in celebration of National Poetry Month. Links to this and other poems here on GottaBook (and there are lots of others, because poetry is NOT just for April) are collected over on the right of the blog under the headline "The Poems".)