When DIY Bites You in the Butt

When DIY Bites You in the Butt We are an industrious lot. We want to know how someone did what he did successfully, so we can do it, too . . . or do it better. Or do it ourselves instead of buying the other guys product. Or do it ourselves to save money . . . or to maintain creativity as our own instead of splitting its ownership. Its called DIY, or do-it-yourself, and we cant stand not to try doing it ourselves if it means more benefits for us. I love to bake. I hate recipes that have boxed mixes or tell me to save time As writers, we fight that battle uphill to publish a book. How hard can it be to format that manuscript in Word? How difficult can a cover be? Surely I can learn how to upload books. We read directions, study what others have done, then grit our teeth, determined to do it ourselves. Then invariably, after weve erred, redone and cursed our mistakes, we reach a point where we ask ourselves and our friends: It doesnt look bad for me doing it myself, does it? And right there youve compromised your storys future. Youve cobbled together what others do for a living. Youve decided to settle for less than professional. You think others wont notice, because they havent learned what youve learned, and tried what youve tried. When youve poured your soul into writing, you need to equally pour your soul into its proper publication. You have two choices when doing anything in life: 1) Take the time to become an expert at it, or 2) Hire the expert. Just know that anything in between is settling. When it comes to baking a cake, Ill settle for my Milky Way Cake from scratch. Its meant to be rustic, gooey and not exactly straight around the edges. But when I need a cake for someones 50th anniversary, believe me, Im hiring someone wholl give me the presentation needed to respect the grand auspiciousness of the occasion.