Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Author or Writer, Which Do You Want to Be?

Many writers I know struggle with the idea of calling themselves an author. It sounds so official, like something that must be earned. That's because it is. There is a distinct difference between writing for fun and writing for a career. That is the difference between a writer and an author. What if you are one attempting to become the other, as so many of us are? Then you are an aspiring author.

There is much more to being an author than just a title though. The bottom line is professionalism. If you want to make writing your career you must be professional. Don't worry, this doesn't mean you can't have fun and be yourself, it just means you have to understand that everything you do and say could some day be under the public eye. With search engines like Google out there agents and editors have access to almost everything you've ever said or done on the internet. You want to be sure what they find doesn't give them a reason to reject you.

Part of being a professional is also ensuring that your work is the very best it can be. Don't finish in a hurry so you can start submitting as soon as possible because you have a hot trending topic or theme. When we rush we make mistakes and mistakes are what get us rejected. Part of taking your time is personalizing each and every query as if that agent is going to be The One. Make sure you carefully read and follow each agent's guidelines. Failure to do so is the quickest way to be rejected.

Be thick skinned when it comes to rejections and try not to take them personally. Learn from every tidbit of feedback that is given to you. Don't forget, many great authors like Stephen King and J.K. Rowling were rejected numerous times before they became successful. Use rejection to fuel the fire of determination. Learn, grow, and improve, that is the path to becoming an author.

For more useful tips on how to succeed check out this post by Writer's Digest: 10 Commandments of Fiction Writing. Best of luck!


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  1. I think we aspiring authors should have a drink named after us . . . like 'the brooder' or 'scrivener's whim' or something. Hey, maybe we could run a contest. Excellent points, Heather, and I really like that 10 Commandments article.

  2. Heather, this is such wonderful advice. Professional is a key, but having fun is essential. You can do and be both. I love the 10 commandments. Something everyone should read!

  3. This is a great reminder, Heather. It does take professionalism and most importantly, time to develop into an author.

  4. In friendly conversation, I usually call myself a writer since I'm not published yet. But an aspiring author is certainly more accurate. This isn't a hobby, this is what I want to do for my career.