As a fan of YouTube, I try to stay out of drama. Quite honestly, I find it pointless and unnecessary. So while others are not-so-quietly sipping their tea and giving the side eye, I can be found re-watching all the videos Dan and Phil have ever collectively uploaded, blissfully unaware. There is one issue, however, that I cannot ignore, and that is the subject of YouTuber books. This topic remains relevant as two (at least that I am aware of) more YouTubers have brought out books this past week, just when I thought it had all slowed down for a bit. A sincere congratulations to Caspar Lee (and his mom Emily) for their book "Caspar Lee" and to Oli White for his novel "Generation Next," who actually released their books on the same day. YouTubers becoming authors is a phenomenon that has given rise to countless jokes and arguments, as well as happy dances and celebrations. Even though I’m a lover of both literature and YouTubers, there is a small part of me that feels a spark of annoyance whenever there is a new announcement of a book being released by yet another YouTuber.

So why does YouTubers becoming authors create such controversy? Well, there is the cynical voice inside mine and many others’ heads saying that they are doing it for the money. And by “they” I do not mean only the YouTubers. Yes, YouTubers will make money off of selling books. They need to make a living somehow. But that is a different issue for another time. The main problem I seem to have regarding YouTubers releasing books is that publishers and companies and all the other people involved in the process are going to make money. That in itself is not a problem. Again, they need to make a living somehow. I will admit that I do not know how the whole process works. From my point of view though, it kind of seems like YouTubers are being offered book deals just because YouTube is growing into something popular and YouTubers are becoming mini celebrities. So they need to cash in now and make as much money as they can off of all their fans that will buy anything they offer them.

Which leads me to my next point. YouTubers becoming authors might not have been such a big deal if only a few books were released. But all of a sudden, a tidal wave of YouTubers came crashing through the waters of YouTube announcing that they were coming out with a book (or two). At this point it would be easier to name a popular YouTuber that has not released a book. If you manage to think of one, they probably have one on the way. Anything, not just books, loses its novelty when everyone and their grandma is participating in it. When I first found out that Zoe Sugg, also known as Zoella, was releasing a novel, I was excited. Part of my joy was that no one else I watched had released a book yet. It was a new occurrence, and it was so cool that a YouTuber nonetheless was writing a book (No, I will not be getting into the ghost writer drama. It is over and done with. And I greatly enjoyed reading "Girl Online" and think Zoe is a great person who does not deserve all the scrutiny she receives so there). Now when someone makes a book announcement though, it’s like, “Well, there is another name to add to the list.” It’s just not really that original anymore and is actually getting repetitive. Similarly, when I was wandering the aisles of Barnes and Noble a few years back, I was delightfully surprised to see a book written by Grace Helbig sitting among the stacks. Walk into a Barnes and Noble now and you’ll be hard pressed to find a store that doesn’t have a display devoted to books written by people from the Internet.

YouTubers coming out with books is now like a song that is overplayed on the radio. At first you really liked the song, and turned up the volume whenever you heard it being played, but now you groan with frustration and quickly change the station because the song has been played too many times. Sadly, you would probably still like the song if the radio hadn’t killed it. Or maybe you are like me and love the song no matter how many times it has been played. Either way, there is going to be an opinion about it.

A last lingering problem regarding YouTuber books is that YouTubers do not seem qualified to be authors. Never mind those who already wrote books such as John Green, or those that have obvious, main interests other than YouTube and have expressed wanting to write before, such as Carrie Hope Fletcher. Never mind even those whose books make sense because they relate to them or their videos besides being an autobiography such as Charlie McDonnell, also known as charlieissocoollike, who is releasing a book called "Fun Science," and has a video series of the same name. With YouTubers like those just listed, I find it easier to accept their book announcement because the previous two issues, making money and being part of a trend, are simpler to argue against. But with those who seem to have created a book out of nowhere, the doubting voice in my head angrily protests that YouTubers aren’t real authors and that the book deal should have gone to someone whose dream it is to be an author and who has devoted their life to writing.

A main flaw with the idea that YouTubers are not qualified to be authors, however, is the insinuation that there is a list of attributes somewhere that clearly states who can and cannot write a book. Are there people who are born to write, or can anyone write a successful piece with enough practice and dedication? As there is no simple answer quite yet, and strong arguments can be made for either side, I do not think it is fair to hold YouTubers to a set of criteria that does not concretely exist.

Furthermore, the argument that YouTubers are not real authors suggests that no hard work was put into the creation of their book, which is not the case. If you watch Dan and Phil’s video of the creating of "The Amazing Book is Not on Fire," or see Estée’s snaps about her upcoming book "Bloom," or read Will Darbyshire’s tweets about the book he is working on called "This Modern Love," then it is apparent that YouTubers do put a significant amount of effort into the books they release. And this is only a few examples of the dedication that is exerted into the making of books by YouTubers.

Moreover, YouTubers had to work hard to even get to the point where they could be offered a book deal or be taken seriously when asking about one. So much time is put into writing, filming, and then editing quality videos. YouTubers often create videos for years before becoming successful. So why shouldn’t their hard work be rewarded with an opportunity to reach larger audiences and expand their success into other areas besides YouTube? An actor, or camera person, or editor (all jobs that YouTubers usually perform with their own videos) could release a book, and the general public would not be outraged, insisting that they must stick to acting/filming/editing and that they cannot do anything else. Must YouTubers only be confined to making YouTube videos, even if they have something else special or unique to offer to the world?

Finally, it is not as though YouTubers have no experience writing at all. Yes, writing a book and writing a video script are different, but they are both forms of writing. And some YouTubers, typically beauty and/or lifestyle YouTubers, write blog posts in addition to creating videos.

So what is my final verdict? I think that YouTuber books have the potential to be, and already are, positive influences. If YouTubers releasing books causes more people, especially young people, to read, then that is wonderful. Spreading appreciation and enjoyment of literature is a goal I personally work to achieve, so seeing people with influence doing so with millions of subscribers is amazing. Sure, I may have that skeptical voice in my head spewing negatives thoughts, but at the end of the day, how can I complain? My favorite YouTubers have released books for me to cherish and smell the pages of. I can join in on their excitement and feel proud of their accomplishment. Books such as Tyler Oakley’s "Binge" and Connor Franta's "A Work in Progress" have made the New York Times best seller list, sometimes staying there for weeks. Ultimately, YouTuber books display how amazing #TeamInternet truly is. Releasing a book might not be original in itself, but the actual book will still be original. Just as with their YouTube channels, each successful YouTuber has their own voice and content that people are attracted to. No two books will be exactly the same because no two people are exactly the same. Not to mention that along with books come book tours. An opportunity to meet the people who I look forward to watching every day, who bring a smile to my face and cause me to laugh, who cause me to think and who I can relate to, who inspire and entertain and bring hope to so many, is a literal dream come true. Embrace the era of YouTuber books.