Thoughts of "Self"

If you proclaim that you are a "self-starter" on a resume, then you had better be able to create your own motivation to get things done.

If you buy a "self-tanner" you should be able to assume that the tan will be created by your own skin - without the assistance of the sun.

If you partake in "self-pleasure" you're probably not relying on someone else. (And you're probably also being scolded by Delaware senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell - but that's a whole different story.)

If you "self-flagellate" (not the same as the topic above this one), then you're punishing yourself with no help from anyone else.

And, well, the same goes for pretty much all of those "self-" words. You know, like self-deprecate, self-loathe, self-possess, and even self-promote.

So why is it that when people decide to "self-publish" they assume that they don't need to do anything and that all of the blame should fall on someone else?

Today, just before the end of a rather nice, calm day at work, I got an email from an author who just now - after having 1,000+ books printed - realized that his own name was spelled incorrectly on the spine of the book. Considering how my week has been going, I opted to not respond to him tonight, but to leave it until tomorrow.

Why not just reply right back?

Because I couldn't figure out how to politely (ie. without using the terms "idiot," "doofus," or "stupid-head") point out that - no fewer than FIVE times - the author had approved the cover of the book exactly the way it is. Yes, other people had also seen it and had missed the fact that his name was misspelled, but this is SELF-publishing. And it was HIS name. He had not paid for the round of editing that includes a final proofreading of absolutely everything. This means that it was up to the author, himSELF, to notice this and correct it.

And, yet, I suspect that tomorrow I'll be sitting down with one of my co-workers and the two of us will be figuring out what to do to help this author get some reprinted books. God help us if he tries to figure it out by himself.