Do You Call Yourself a Writer or an Author?

Jami,

Thanks for the shout-out and you KNOW how I feel about this. Name it and claim it. I think we have better things to do than argue over our title. Show, don’t tell. I know writers who wax on rhapsotic about why they don’t call themselves a writer yet….in a blog post that is 2000 words long.

REALLY?

Stop waiting for the world to give you permission. Fortune favors the bold.

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I agree with your logic 100%, Jami. I used the title “author” even before my book came out in November, because this is my career rather than a hobby. Once I started taking myself seriously and honing my craft, I became an author.

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Hi Jami,

Been a while! Good topic today. Especially in this rapidly changing field.

I agree with Kristen. Today, for all purveyors of media in any form, it’s a “show don’t tell” world. It makes no difference what we call ourselves, really. It’s all about the work. The work is readily available for any and all to see, consume or not-comsume, and to like or dislike.

Here’s a good rhetorical question: But first a little backstory. So, I’ve been a professional writer (in many forms) for years. Recently I published my first novel. I barely even looked into finding a traditional publisher before I realized I could create my own business out of it. I don’t want to get into the old debate about traditional vs. independent, but from my point of view… Having spent many years in Hollywood, I am not a fan (at all) of dealing with middle men. That world can be very exciting for a time, but I now know that I pretty much just like writing and telling stories. So, this sudden change in the world of publishing that removed the stranglehold of middlemen on distribution is, in my opinion, the greatest thing that has ever happened to writers of fiction. Ever. I count my blessings every day that I was born in an era when this could happen. My day job is in branding/marketing where my wife and I own our own company already. We are successful doing our own thing and answerable to no one but ourselves and are ecstatic about it. So when I realized I could do the same thing with writing fiction, to succeed or fail based on my own talent as a storyteller and little else… I pulled both hamstrings jumping at the chance. I hired an experienced editor, then worked with an amazing artist to create the cover (just the way I wanted it, yay!). I published the book a little over 3 months ago. People like it and it’s selling quite well. I’m surprised and fortunate enough that it looks like this novel will earn what the average advance for a book of this kind would have been inside its first 6 months. And then keep going. So, obviously, as the debate goes… if I had sought an agent, got really lucky and landed one right away (for debut fiction??) – and this agent sold the project right away (sure, why not? Let’s go with it), then I’m still looking at 18 + months before publishing, etc… you know the drill. I don’t even want to talk about the contract I would have had to sign to even start the process.

So, back to my question. When, along that timeline, did I become an “author?” When I finished the book? When I published it? When it sold one copy? When it started selling well? Or, has it not yet happened because of all those people I never reached out to?

I have noticed that my wife has begun introducing me as “an author.” Not sure if that’s an upgrade or just more current than “writer.” She does own half of a publishing company, after all. For me, none of those things really matter. I’m happy, satisfied in my work, and lucky to be here.

Love the blog, Jami! Always a fun conversation here!

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DWS’s post was awesome.

I’ll answer to both – the old distinction of an author being “someone who has published/been paid for work” vs. the writer being “one who writes” seems logical/reasonable to me, and I both actively write and make money from what I write. I didn’t call myself an author before I sold my first copy of a book – a personal choice (I never said I wasn’t an author either – I just didn’t use the term myself, aspiring or otherwise). I even throw in a “novelist” here and there (and I did use that title before I started selling), though it only applies to one of the genres I work in.

Overall, I prefer “writer”. It’s descriptive, non-pretentious, and it covers all lengths & genres. “Author” is a bit too stuffy/formal for me, and when I’m referred to as an author, people want to know what books I’m selling. When I’m referred to as a writer, people want to know what I’m writing. I don’t particularly care for either question (I’m anti-social that way), but of the two, I’d rather answer the latter.

That’s not to say that I care what anyone else calls themselves…the only thing that annoys me (even then, it’s a minor annoyance) is when I see someone actively writing who uses the “aspiring” qualifier. They’re selling themselves short, IMO.

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It took me awhile to embrace the moniker “writer,” even though I’ve been writing since I was young. Really, it took until I completed my NaNo novel. I associate “author” with someone who has something published (self or traditional pub. house would fall into that category), so I’m loathe to use that term yet. But I like Kristen’s quote that “Fortune favors the bold.” I can certainly claim to be a BOLD WRITER, if nothing else as yet!

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I’m a writer. Didn’t know it until I read your post but now I do and I understand the distinction you make between writers and authors. An author I’m not and have no particular interest in being published. I am interested in documenting some of the experiences of my life. I don’t know why because I never had any desire to do that until the past year or so. (Maybe because the statutes of limitations have run out). What I want to do is get better at telling those stories. I have some of them parked on a raggety website I am learning how to set up. After reading some of your posts I know I can learn a lot about writing plus I’ve had some interesting experiences that I’ve never been able to explain so I know I’ll be able to learn a lot from your blog.

Bob Cloud

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I think we’re both writers and authors! How’s that? I think authors are writing with the intent to get published. Honestly, I don’t think it matters. It’s not going to help anyone get published or sell a lot of books. But I think it’s fine to call yourself an author.

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Interesting discussion, Jami! In my mind, aspiring writers are people who think about writing, but haven’t started yet.
In that sense, I’m a writer. And an aspiring astronaut.

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Great post! The writer vs. author thing is still something I never really made a decision about–for now I call myself a writer, and I like what Dean Wesley Smith said about writers looking towards the future. To me I suppose I always associated “author” with published, but as you pointed out, that association is pretty much meaningless with the rise of self-publication now. It’s interesting to think about, though!

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This same old debate, again?

Another great post, Jami and I’m happy that so many people have weighted in. Here are my two cents worth.

I have found that the term author garners more respect. With the explosion of self-published books the line between writer and author is greatly blurred. I call myself an author although my first book won’t be out till Feb. To me “author” has nothing to do with being published but whether that is what you want to do for a living. When I was in first grade I didn’t say that when I grow up I want to be a writer. I said when I grow up I want to be an author.

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When I first started writing, I wasn’t involved in a community of writers. I was pretty much going the course on my own. I read a lot of blogs by published writers. One of them was Rachel Vincent (whose books are very good). She said that she had to tell herself that she would never get paid for writing if she did not treat it like a job.

I’ve had people argue semantics with me, saying that calling writing a job diminishes what writing means, that writing is a career. And maybe they’re right. I think, however, that we’re talking about the same thing.

I could not agree more with Rachel’s that the only way to get paid for writing is to take it seriously and act like a professional. I think that’s what you’re saying here–at least that’s how I read this post. So this long reply is to say I’m with you on this one.

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Interesting post! I can see that my personal choice is influenced by the way I viewed authors while growing up. I can’t seem to shake the “author = published” mindset. It seems to be ingrained in me, but only, oddly enough, when it comes to talking about myself as a writer. I don’t mind at all seeing other pre-published writers applying the “author” label to themselves. Huh.

I have managed to drop the “aspiring” label, however. I jettisoned it quite awhile ago for all the reasons you and Kristen talk about. I write, therefore I’m a writer, damnit (with apologies to Descartes).

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I am a writer. One way I know is that it took me two days to comment here because writing comes first and some days, with the day job and family added, there isn’t time for anything else. I also know I’m a writer because, well, I write every day. I’m also an author. Unpublished, not aspiring (shaken not stirred). I’ve written stories. I wrote a short novel for NaNo. I present myself with the attitude of a professional writer, because I am one.

I agree with you and Dean (just was on his site as a matter of fact) on the definition of author. It is both someone that has written and someone that carries the attitude of being a writer. The disconnect is the direction of thinking. Do you think forward and follow those thoughts or base your attitude on what has already been accomplished/written? That, I believe, is Dean’s point. If someone truly wants to do this professionally then forward is the only direction that works.

I think many people are more in love with the idea of writing, of receiving praise from an accepting community, of being in the company of writers. Once someone knows how difficult writing professionally is it becomes easier to hide behind the facade than to do the real work. Just my thought, but I base it on what I have seen across hundreds of writers, pro and “aspiring”.

In the end it comes down to commitment, a willful decision to become that which is desired. To learn it. To live it. To be it.

Great post, Jami

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I hate that term “aspiring writer” (as I’ve said many times on my own blog) for exactly the reasons you state. I don’t aspire to write. I DO write. Therefore, I am a writer. But to me, author means someone who has been published or soon will be, and by this, I mean the traditional route. So I cannot call myself an author quite yet. Aspiring author is okay, but I just don’t like that word aspiring for some reason. I write. I’m a writer. But everyone has a different view on what constitutes a writer or an author. My version is no more correct than anyone else’s. So you can and should call yourself whatever it is you want. It’s not a mistake. It’s a preference.

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I really wanted to write something here, but wasn’t sure how to author it out in the correct words. Call me what you will, I still get my butt in the chair. Maybe I’m a just an anchor to keep the chair from floating away….

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Hi Jami

I’m new to blogging and have just set up my own blog. In creating my subheading I hit a stumbling block, so I researched on the net and here I am at your site .

You make a very good point about how we wish to be viewed, which is the reason I was looking for answers. I am a professional artist with work sold internationally. I am also a writer with two completed manuscripts I am editing. To call myself a Writer and Artist didn’t work, (Writer and Painter is more correct, but reduces my art to a hobby). However, could I call myself an Author and Artist?

You have soothed my qualms about taking on a mantle I may not (in the eyes of the public) have yet earned. So thanks .

Marie-Claire

http://marieclairecolyer.wordpress.com/

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Great post I dumped the ‘aspiring’ label a while back when, while merrily typing away at the PC, my wife asked what I was doing. I said I was writing and she asked why I kept referring to myself as an aspiring writer since I was obviously already doing it. Definitely a DUH moment because I never thought of it from that point of view.

When it comes to author or writer, I’m more comfortable with the ‘W’ word. I chose the indie route because I’m a control freak so don’t have any problems with the whole ‘traditionally published = author, anything else = fail’ issue; it just sounds odd to call myself an author. Self-esteem issue?

Incidentally, I love the earlier comment about using the title of storyteller. I might have to borrow that idea.

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