What kind of Indie writer are you? #atozchallenge
There are three versions of the famous phrase.
- Jack of all trades
- Jack of all trades,
master of none - Jack of all trades,
master of some
A little history
Jack of all trades was used first, meaning someone who was good at just about anything. It was favorable, though originally it came from Johnny-do-it-all which wasn't favorable (but that's beyond the scope of this article). Later the master of none was added, turning the phrase into a negative statement. Because today it can be used either way, the phrase master of some is used to throw a positive spin on the meaning.
Three types of Indie Writers
As I figure there are three types of Indie writers, each corresponding to one of the phrases above.
- The indie writer who can be called a jack (or jane) of all trades, meaning that he or she does everything well when it comes to writing: from brainstorming to publishing and everything in-between.
- The indie writer who thinks he or she is a jack (or jane) of all the writing trades but really only knows a little about each step.
- The indie writer who is really good at a few of the writing trades and decent in the rest.
The first type is rare, so if you happen to be one of those, count your lucky stars. However, there are many indie writers who think they fit this category though the rest of us categorically tell them they do not. This is the type of writer who doesn't use external editors or any outside help of any kind. Beware of falling into this trap.
There's room in the New World of publishing to accommodate different kinds of professional writers, which leads to the third kind of indie writer who knows what they are good at, what they excel at, and what they need help with.
They are humble enough to know they need an editor, a cover designer, or whatever else comes their way, but they are also savvy enough so as not to pay too much for said services (or at least they know when to shell out the cash). Or, they can arrange ways not to pay for them at all (other kinds of reimbursement). This is the kind of writer who will excel in the future.
