I’ve just employed someone to help me with my website’s under-the-hood aspects. Most creatives I know dream of the day the income stream is such that they can hire out the parts of their business that don’t involve actual art creation. But it was a hard step for me, and I ask myself why.

Control Freaks Need Help

Often people who most need help don’t want it. For…reasons, ceding any control to someone else is hard. We have a whole list of excuses: “I don’t want to explain the task,” “I want things done my way,” “I don’t trust anyone to do the job correctly,” “I don’t want to follow-up on the task with my employee,” and “I don’t want to spend money on this task.” You can likely think of a few yourself.

What’s This Really About?

I think for me, the tipping point is my enjoyment of the task and satisfaction from mastering it. In this case, I’m hiring out website design and functionality. Learning new things is a source of joy and pride for me, and setting up my website was hard but ultimately satisfying. However, it took away writing time. (And promo time. And marketing. And all those other things an author must do.)

Yet, it’s time for some platform upgrades, and I just can’t face it. I’ve creative projects in the works and other demands. The technology’s not intuitive for me, and the learning curve steep. Also, it makes me feel very old. (Perhaps that’s the problem, right there.)

Gentle Help

Anyway, I know the advice I give other people, all the time: If you don’t enjoy it (anymore), don’t do it. Hire a professional. Tell people what you need. Your time is valuable. 

Don’t miss The Big Cinch from Montag Press, an award-winning supernatural noir adventure by Kathy L. Brown. Sean Joye, a fae-touched young veteran of 1922’s Irish Civil War, aims to atone for his assassin past and make a clean, new life in America. Until he asks the wrong questions… 

How about you? Can you delegate? Do you need to control every aspect of your work? Is getting help a sign of weakness? I’d love to hear your ideas. Comment on the blog. Navigate to my website, click blog title, and complete dialogue box that will open at the end of the post. 

If you enjoyed this journal entry, you might like to read about Thought Distortions.

I started this blog thread on the gritty details of the writing process over on my Facebook Author page, @kbkathylbrown, but think I might be better served putting it over here. If you’re interest in following my writing process in an informal way, you’ll find a few posts on Facebook that might interest you. You can subscribe to the blog from the website landing page (scroll down).

And Now a Word from Our Sponsor

Check out my latest release from Montag Press, The Big Cinch, a supernatural noir adventure by Kathy L. Brown. Order today. Sean Joye, a fae-touched young veteran of 1922’s Irish Civil War, aims to atone for his assassin past and make a clean, new life in America. Until he asks the wrong questions. . . 

Love Letters to St. Louis is an adorable letter-shaped volume of short stories, poems, essays, and illustrations and includes my first science fiction story, “Welcome to Earthport Prime: A Self-Guided Tour.” A perfect gift and profits benefit the guild’s young writers’ program. Available on Amazon and local St. Louis bookshops.

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