Author, Writer, or Scribbler?

How Does One Know?

I want to talk about something that I think the vast majority of writers, if not all, have thought about at some time or another. I certainly did, and a week doesn’t pass that I don’t see one or more writers pondering the same question.

That question is: When does one have the right to call oneself a writer? Plumbers, carpenters and bricklayers pass an apprenticeship. Solicitors are called to the Bar, or is that barristers… I suppose the same is true of baristas. But what about writers?

Writing Courses

Most people can write. Does that make us all writers? Most people used to write letters. Did that make them writers? Are emailers or social media posters writers? If not why not? Is everyone a writer, but a writer of a book is an author? Authors are creators, but so are writers, unless they are copying text out. Aren’t they!

Do you need to go on a writing course and get a piece of paper? (I am not advocating that! There are enough scams going on in education as it is).

My first novel was 112,000 words long, which is quite a bit more than the average of 85-90k. Did that make me a writer or an author or both? However, I was loathe to call myself a writer, let alone an author, which seemed rather grand.

What is an Author?

I now have about 10 million words in print, and have been writing for 12 years. Am I now a writer or author even? Does the length of time make a difference. To be honest, I still don’t know. However, I am less wary of telling people that I am a writer these days for sure. I still think about the question. The other day, it occurred to me that the only difference between a a writer and an author is that an author has a team to support him or her, whereas a writer writes alone.

Nevertheless, that still leaves us with the problem of what makes someone a writer though. I’m going to stick with a writer takes writing seriously; has written at least one book or series of articles and promotes them in order to make money that is an important part or his or her income.

Perhaps, it’s down to the public/the readership to decide – although then there is the problem of marketing and promotion… Indie authors are at a disadvantage compared to writers with an agent and back-up publishing staff.

What do you think? I’d love to know 🙂

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