Do Writers Need Credentials to Sell Services?

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[SAVYWRITESBOOKS]

This is a really important discussion! I agree with you on a lot of points. I think it's important that consumers don't feel ripped off-- but that means that both sides need to put in the effort to communicate transparently. If you're searching for an editor or a cover designer, you can ask to see a portfolio or a work sample -- often, that will be better than seeing their degree or certificate, since you as an author want to know the real-world application.

[KatSperlingBooks]

I agree with you 100 %. Credentials don't mean much in unregulated fields. You just have to do your research...

[imit]

I absolutely agree with your views, because I know a lot of people who have a lot of degrees and credentials but they are not good in their field and know a lot of people who auto-taught themselves and are great in the same field but they lack the credentials. Great video! Have a blessed day!

[mickeymiles]

I love this perspective— it does fall back on the consumer- researching said services is key- ❤️😊

[JoeyPaulOnline]

I saw this posted in the FB group and I wasnt sure I was going to agree but as I've watched, I've realised that I very much do! You cant judge what other people spend their money on it. It's a personal choice and not something people should have to justify.

[AdaraWrites]

Well said! It's up to the consumer to be smart and to do their research. Is the product to good to be true? A rip-off? What have other people said? Do you like the work that person does? I personally don't like Stephen King and I never got into his book 'On Writing' but I know others who loved it - that doesn't mean it's bad. It's just my taste. Would I reject advice from an editor at a top 5 publisher who has never published a book themselves? No!  I think the debate has knocked a lot of writers who do it for fun and have no plans for publication to stop giving out what could be good advice. Thank you for bringing some much needed guidance to this topic.

[DalCecilRuno]

Very good argument points here. Art is very subjective. A person's skills aren't determined by a piece of paper.

How did you make a cartoon of yourself? I like this.

[AMG_Creates]

I can't into the Authortube community when this whole mess started, my mom was going to buy a $2500 course for me till I looked at the overview and realized I knew most of the information, or I wasn't going to need it just starting out.
I assume that most of the money amounts to doing the work, making the videos and all that jazz. One Authortuber actually said that's why her course is $200 because it cost her time away from her family to do it.
I agree with you on all points, where I feel one person NEEDS a certain amount of time and effort put in for something I'm going to spend a LOT of money on, if a friend starts making paintings and is amazing right off the bat I will pay her $50 for that squirrel in a waistcoat and top hat cause it's effing adorable!
I think we forget that it is OUR money and WE can choose what to spend it on (after bills, groceries, mortgage and other adult shit of course)

[aleksandragieralt]

I understand your point. I think anyone can learn from anyone (all people have something to teach us). The question isn't so much who "is allowed" to teach but how much should they charge and should they list their credentials. I think personal experience and past student reviews can be considered credentials. I don't think prices should be extreme (thousands for a course offered in another country) as they are in some cases, but I do think anyone is welcome to post their advice on YouTube, in a blog, on Instagram/Facebook, etc. I think people offering courses should at least research the market and offer their services at a competitive price (ex. if the average price is $25/hour, charge between $15-$35, not $1000). A person should also list all goods/services that price will pay for so the client knows exactly what they're getting and make an informed choice. I'm saying this as a friend of someone who got scammed by a fake life coach.
Patreon, which you mentioned and Ko-fi are good solutions to the problem of artists struggling to make a living as the patron decides how much they will pay and they are literally paying to support the work the artist already does which they enjoy.

[MalachiFrazee]

Youtubers create info-products. Free info is out there, but only after you spend 12 hours searching. People suck with SEO. Good luck finding free info beyond basic writing. Free market is the best.

[NicoleCreates]

What are your thoughts on credentials? Are they important to you, or have you found authors you love who have none?

[CSWells-uqjx]

You make some great points, and I do agree to some extent. However, I don’t think that in the situations which are being debated, that the consequences are nothing. The people that are being reprimanded in these situations are charging multiple thousands of dollars and if a person opts unknowingly into spending that kind of money, banking on the service being a good investment, and it turns out not to be, then they are now out a significant amount of money. Yes, some of this does come down to buyers beware, but the persons offering these courses should not be using some of the manipulative marketing tactics that they have been employing. It’s willfully predatory and only attracts the desperate individuals who are just trying to make their dreams come true. It’s comparable to predatory agents in the publishing industry who charge money for their services, instead of going off of commission, like reputable agents do.That’s the real issue here, in my humble opinion. It’s not about a lack of credentials, per say, so much as it’s a lack of any reasonable way to know that you are receiving a quality service for the large sum of money you’re investing. If it were a service that had already been offered in the past and there was a way of seeing reviews from past people who had attended the course, it would make this a very different issue. However, when this is the first time somebody is actually offering a service, it is customary to offer it for a reasonable amount, so that they can receive reviews and the customers have an actual way to educate themselves on the value of the product that’s been provided the next time it’s offered. I’m not on board with the cancel culture that’s been going on in regards to the people being questioned for these things. But I do think they shot themselves in the foot going about this the way that they did, and they’ve undoubtedly and probably irreconcilably damaged their reputations. And they could’ve seen that coming and avoided it.