I have heard stories about self published authors becoming 'top sellers' however coming from a 50 year long career in the arts I have learned to read between the lines of that hype and see than many so called top selling published authors sell their books for free until they have x amount of sales or they spend more than they earn from the book advertising it for sale at a loss price of 99 cent. That to me does not equate with success.  Oh sure I have heard stories about the author who made millions self publishing and I know the reality is that if you write the m=novel and then full time promote you self published book full time for a year the average author will earn $100. for a year's work. Don't promote it and only your family will buy it.

One of the things that's lacking in the discussion of self-publishing is reliable statistics. What do self-publishers--other than the highly-hyped successes--really look like? This survey aims to shed some light. If you're a self-publisher, please consider participating.

Taleist 2012 Self-Publishing Survey blog.taleist.com is surveying self-publishing authors to find out what self-publishing authors "look like" and what successful self-publishers have in common.

I had blogging jobs until 5.30 am last night. Just managed to get to bed before sun up and get 5 hours sleep. So what do i do for relaxation when my paid blogging jobs were over? lol, I waffle away in a blog about one of my favorites subjects that no one ever offers to pay me for.

Eating fresh and healthy instead of consuming those pills and powders I just knocked back a stack of income because I refuse to promote some stupid processed protein drink when a few almonds or most unsalted nuts, if you want a fast fix, would be so much easier and healthier.

What are your fast healthy food fixes you would use rather than a so called health (highly processed food) food drink or bar? Read more here:- Are you a nutrition supplement skeptic? I am. www.artslim.org

When you think of vitamins and minerals do you think of supplement tablets or fresh fruit and vegetables? Are you a supplement skeptic? I am. I keep up to date with the news on health sciences...

Kathy Shell

Venus Envy, the bath and body store in Gull Harbor, Washington, takes care of residents' beauty needs. Behind the counter is Persia Vanderbilt, a woman with a nose for mixing scents and a mind for solving murder. This first in a new series includes beauty and spa tips.  I think this sounds interesting.

Fiction & Literature » Mystery & Detective » Women Sleuths
Scent to Her Grave By India Ink

RRP $16.99 $6.57   Save $10.42 (61%) Free shipping Australia wide

We had a big day out yesterday striving to fix my slow internet connection. I bought the latest 4G service. It has made a fabulous difference to y connection speed.  is FAST :-). I'm going to enjoy that.

Reg is Kindle reading, Indigo is frog and lizard spotting from her window seat and I'm coffee sipping and reading before an active work day of test driving and reviewing a car. My new laptop for the caravan when we travel next will be an iPad2 - 'HELP', lol. Can a dyslectic who could not learn to use a smart phone learn how to use an iPad? I like that I will be able to write on the beach and not worry about sand bowing into the keyboard.

Earn money writing tips:
1/ If you plan do use your blog to do reviews or link earning assignments in, use a separate blog to the one you use for your business, book promotion, art work etc.
2/ Get yourself your own domain name for it, don't be someone via blog spot as few people will offer you work if they feel blogger or blog spot is in charge of the blog and not the author themselves.

Let me know if there is anything else I can share to help with your :-)

Join me at my facebook page.
Kathy Shell

I am finally doing it and not just talking about it.   I am selling my best laptop computer the 15.5" Sony Vaio with the extended warranty though until July 16, 2013.

I  mean...how many computers does one writer need?
To count them all, I have five working computers. 
 desktop and lap top Dell run Windows XP and 200 respectively and I actually still love those old workhorses, we have had good times together, but no one would want to purchase a used computer that old so they can stay with me as my 'just in case,' spares.  Then I have an old, soiled, much loved workhorse in the three year old Toshiba. It and me traveled though the Kimberly and Pilbara and crossed the Nullabour then went to tropical far north Qld. together.  I even wore out the back button on it processing photos of all te wonderful places we went, and probably published stacks of them on this blog.   The screen is a little small for me to proof read my novel...I tend to make more typos on the smaller screen, but I do love my old Toshiba laptop.

Due to my typos I went and bought the Sony Vaio Laptop.  My specifications were for a laptop for a novelist.  Yes it has the capacity to stay on all day when you write without getting overheated as my Toshiba does.  It has a lot more fans to cool it than old Toshy has.  The Sony is the newer Windows 7 and not the subject to hick-cups Vista I have on my Toshiba.

The newest Sony is the only one of my laptop computers with all it's keys and functions and a long term warranty. Really the only one working as new and suitable for selling.   I listed it on EBay. It is a good buy if you are looking for one of these at around half the new price with a good warranty period remaining.

While I loved my Sony 15.5" screen for a while, I am very fickle when it comes to computers. My relationship with a 15.5" was thrown aside when I met my new handsome Sir iMac 21" screen computer. lol, It was love at first sight and I don't look back.  My Sony will probably become a gift for  grandson if I don't sell it.  It I sell it I will be buying new software for my newest love, my  iMac. :-).  My needs before the grandson, lol. 

Rachel McMillan is the winner of my Clydesdale print Giveaway.

I will be posting the giveaways early next week :-)
- while out looking at buying :-( the 4G wireless internet system - not by choice but because the 3G system I have suddenly got trees between it and the tower that affect the signal.

The trees in the river valley between us and the Telstra tower in Shepparton somehow never affected the signal until they began a huge marketing campaign for 4G in this area.

Yes call me a skeptic but I think they deliberate slowed the 3G system down to unworkable to coincide with the marketing push. I downgraded my 3G service to save $30. a month from what I was paying and will be looking next week at buying what ever I can find that will allow me to get back on line with enough speed to open a page again.

In the meanwhile I am managing to open web pages at around 3am..or when I drive to the foot of the tower. Great for sleep scheduled but - I'll manage and over the frustration I felt yesterday - resigned to it and the extra cost if I want to stay 'on line.

Hope this sorts itself out soon and I'll just have to work a little harder to pay for extra overheads again, lol - we all know that story.

Do you ever look at a picture of your favorite author and think, "What on earth could be going on in that head?" That's what we think every time we look at Steinbeck.

I have a theory about painters, I do not know if it applies to writers. Those painter/artists I have known who have a wonderful humanist, attitude to people and do not see themselves as 'above' others usually paint with great humanity.

I am thinking of the beautiful paintings by Sir Hans Hysen who could make a masterpiece of a painting of a child at play or his wife working at the sewing machine in front of a lace curtained window as readily as he could someone posed in evening clothes.

Fredrick McCubbin was another. The painting of his wife shelling peas was exquisite.

Whereas - others could only master the formal and aloof art works and if you read about their characters, they held some people in disdain and I feel it showed in the work. What do you think of that 'observation.'

Kathy Shell

Clydesdales and dray, Pastel pencil original art work, outer frame size 475 mm x 410mm art work on A4 size acid free pastel paper framed in double mount acid free mat board.
Acclaimed Australian artist, Kathy Shell

I am being asked about Clydesdale art bargains.
I do have a few. The one above is in my art bargains sale.

There are some art prints of my Clydesdale at http://www.kathy-shell.net/horse-gallery.html

I also have this one pastel pencil A4 size impressionist art work framed under glass in an acid free double mount.
I am still waiting on Pack and Send to quote me the delivery costs, - I would never trust Australia Post with glass, lol, would you?  I could quote now to send unframed however you would possibly have to pay more than my asking price to frame it as nicely. The frame is not new. This work is 'ex gallery' and has been in storage. In fact I will need to clean the glass up before I send it, although the buyer will need to do that too as the glass is taped during transport to protect it from breaking. 

As soon as I have the cost to me I'll mark this original art work as low in cost as I can. :-). Feel welcome to ask questions, my Art Sale will run all though Feb and I hope - into March. I begin my new novel - I wrote it in my head last night instead of sleeping so it is eager o get out, lol. from April so no art selling from then on, planned, hence my doing a SALE now.

That is what many people who become successful in small business where a non essential item is being marketed. I am of course referring to 'the arts.'   I grew up with family members who where successful in their chosen arts and I too have been able to succeed in each art for I have chosen, but I have always understood the time commitment to training and development of the required skills, marketing and business.  I had great training by example as I grew up.

I am certain the young lady in that picture did not acquire those skills in a part time dancing class or attitude to her performance. The public would barely see the tip of the iceberg of her training and work routine.

My private tutor told me if I wanted to be in the top 10% of artists I would need to work at it 16 hours a day every day - I did and I did.

Now re the 16 hours a day advice, just think about it. 

You are asking to become successful in a non-essential field - the arts. It is hard enough to become successful in any business.

Choose a self owned business that people do not have a physical need for, and desire to survive on it though all economic times, and you had best be prepared to make it a life passion of thinking yourself and acting as a pro artist from when you wake until when you drop because that is what it takes to be a successful pro in the arts, for most people. 

That does not mean no family, the family simply need to be aware that your art is a part of your life and goes with you everywhere and can involve or not the family as much or as little as they like.