I know writers are supposed to get their work professionally edited. I know it is recommended that we find a professional to design the cover art. I know all this, and yet…

There are a few common reasons writers end up doing everything themselves when writing and releasing a novel—especially if they’re new or working independently.

1. You’re self-publishing, so the “team” is just you

When you self-publish, you take on roles that a traditional publisher normally covers:

WritingEditingCover designFormattingMarketingDistributionAccounting and admin

Most indie authors start alone simply because it’s the default.

2. You want full creative control

Many authors choose to work solo because they want:

Complete ownership of the storyControl over the cover and brandingFreedom to release on their own scheduleTo avoid gatekeepers3. Budget limitations

Professional editing, cover design, and marketing can be expensive.
Doing everything yourself can feel necessary when:

You’re just starting outYou’re unsure of your financial returnYou want to minimize risk4. You don’t yet have a network or team

You may not know:

Where to find good editors or designersWhat services are worth paying forHow to evaluate freelancers5. You might not trust others with your work yet

Handing your manuscript to strangers can feel uncomfortable—especially early on.
Some authors stick to DIY because:

They fear being scammedThey worry about losing their voiceThey’ve had bad experiences with collaborators6. You underestimate how much work publishing really is

It often starts with: “I’ll just publish my book.”
Then you discover:

Editing takes longer than writingMarketing is a job in itselfPlatforms have complicated requirements

I still choose to go it alone because I simply cannot afford to pay anyone to do the work. I have tried, on a couple of occassions, to get a so-called professional to design my book covers, and it has always ended disasterously.

I create everything myself. I write, edit, format, design the cover, publish, promote.

And I do it over and over again.

The industry is HUGE, and Indie authors easily get lost in the torrent of traditional and self-published books hitting the online stores daily.

So if you want to support and Indie author, and read something a bit different to the usual fayre, please consider my books – and leave a review!

Thank you