People bang on about this do-it-yourself mumbo jumbo like it’s a new religion:
“Broken appliance? You should look it up on YouTube and do it yourself…”
“Want to know how to make a perfect choux pastry? You should Google it…”
Whatever happened to inviting an expert into your home to take care of these things? You think I sound old-fashioned? Well, why should I attempt to fix my broken toilet when a friendly plumber, who has trained tirelessly for years (and knows his U-bend from his U-boat) is more capable of doing it for me? What if I mess up the job? What if I can never do as Mother Nature intended because I’ve botched the bog?
I understand that we’re in a world where we need to be more frugal and it is this that is driving the do-it-yourself cult (I’ve heard a rumour that those on the inside refer to it as D.I.Y.), and I’m all for cutting corners but most of us wouldn’t imagine visiting wikihow to learn how to build their own house, would we?
No dear reader, the proper practice should be to let the experts do their thing.
Well, that’s what I did think…but things are changing.
I won’t pretend to be a D.I.Y. officianado (I really do hate flat pack) but I’m starting to be won over by the merits of taking on certain self-assisted projects. I am, of course, referring to the practice of online book publication.
Gone are the days where you required a PHD in Literary Mastersism or a family lineage linking you to the great William Shakespeare. Now, it’s as easy as…well…writing a book. There is a wealth of information out there on that thing called t’internet and to be honest you don’t even need to be a rocket scientist to find it.
It’s true that publishing to the different online platforms (Kindle, Kobo, iBookstore, Nook) requires patience as each platform wants you to dot your i’s and cross your t’s in a totally different format, but it doesn’t matter because there are hundreds of friendly indie authors out there who’ve been in your position and will guide you through the maze.
Historically, I wouldn’t have dreamed of writing a novel and independently publishing it, not when you consider all the publishing houses out there, yet here I am, about to publish my sixth novel Trespass!
So, whilst I would still recommend you allow a qualified electrician rewire your house, I would urge any budding book builders to step up to the plate and embrace the indie author revolution!
Until the next time, happy reading,
Stephen
(Stephen is the author of Integration, Remorse, Redemption, Snatched and Shadow Line. Find his work here, here or via stephenedger.com)
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