What It’s Like to Be an Author

Ever wonder what an author’s life is like? Ever thought of it as just a person sitting at a computer or scribbling in a notebook? Ever consider that some stereotypes about writers aren’t true? (Stereotypes about anything is never a good thing.)

The other day, a group of associates began asking me about my latest writing project. At the time, I couldn’t discuss many of the details, but I relayed some of my to-do lists. They were quite shocked to hear that much of my list didn’t have anything to do with creating or typing a story. And that’s when I realized they didn’t have a clue as to all the moving parts in the writing business. My idea for today’s post sparked from there.

I’m going to begin with a point of contention. I say contention because many people not only will disagree, but they will become up in arms about it. I promise I mean no ill will and hope not to offend anyone. Of course, anyone is free to disagree, and this isn’t a conversion attempt. It’s a perspective—one out of I’m sure dozens. So, here goes. There’s a difference between a “writer” and an “author.” There, I said it. What’s the difference? A writer is someone who… well, writes. An author is someone who writes professionally and is published. (Oh, that was a big can of worms. But hold on. Let me explain and clarify.) This is in no way a dig or throwing shade at writers. It’s absolutely not. And, hang on again, there are exceptions and gray areas in that statement as well. Let’s get there.

See, anyone can “write.” I’m sure you’ve heard that statement before. For the most part, this is true. Children learn to write in kindergarten. College students write essays. Professionals write business reports, grants, and propositions. People write government laws and regulations. Administrators write workplace policies. Technically, all of these people are “writers.”

But then there are other writers—people who write memoirs and stories for their personal pleasure. Their intention is not for the world to see. Mostly, what they write is unedited and not critiqued. There’s nothing wrong with this. Anyone who has ever kept a journal knows that writing can be cathartic and therapeutic.

Authors, on the other hand, have the intention of sharing their work with others, of putting themselves out there for public critique. Authors are prioritizing and designating the craft of writing as being their profession and have had works published. However, as I said, there are exceptions. For example, ghostwriters may have had their works published. Technically, they are authors despite someone else’s name being associated with the work. Journalists who publish in newspapers (traditionally or online) are technically authors. They are writing professionally and being published. Playwriters and screenwriters are authors but are not usually labeled as such because their work isn’t in print.

In the large scheme of things, it doesn’t matter if one considers himself a writer or an author. The reason I discussed it here is because of one of the first points I made: anyone can be a writer. Depending on how that’s said, that can be very demeaning and hurtful. Sure, anyone can be a writer just like anyone can be a neurosurgeon, aerospace engineer, or aviation pilot. But people don’t generally make a grand sweeping statement about those professions because those careers require discipline and education. Well, writing does, too. No, I don’t mean a person has to have a fancy college degree to be a writer. But writing is a discipline.

Because writing is a profession for authors, they treat it the same as others would a nine-to-five job. They “work” at it. They research. They edit. Most follow story structures and use professional writing guidelines. But they (some not all) also deal with marketing, formatting, social media, cover art, contracts, distribution, and more. Plus, those are just the big headings. Each one of those areas can be broken down into many subareas. Many authors will agree that writing the story is the easy part. It’s everything else that is difficult.

And the truth is many others never get past the writing stage. No, I don’t mean someone who has completed a story but has been unsuccessful at publishing. I’m talking about not finishing the story. How many jobs will allow employees to not complete work assignments and continue to be employed? When authors do not complete stories, they aren’t going to get paid unless they are getting royalties from past publications. A business owner will not make a living if he has no product to offer to customers. So, when someone says anyone can be a true writer. But to be an author that statement is only true if the person is willing to put in the effort.

What about people who self-publish? They are authors. A self-employed person is an entrepreneur. Thus, an indie author can be thought of as their own publishing house. Indie authors have a lot of responsibilities. They oversee and handle every publishing detail, from the writing to the formatting to the distribution and sales. It includes editing, marketing, and scheduling. It’s a lot, and an indie author has to be highly disciplined to complete all of these tasks. The pros of being self-published is indie authors have a lot more control over everything and will receive a higher percentage of sales.

Here’s a huge misunderstanding. Many people think traditional authors only write the book and the publishers do everything else. That isn’t true. The publishers do handle a lot, but traditionally published authors, if they want their novel to be successful, must be involved in all the processes that indie authors are (except for formatting and distribution). The exception to this is authors who have name recognition. For example, an author such as Stephen King will sell because he’s Stephen King. He doesn’t need to promote his books, but he does because it is a good marketing practice. He will sell more if he does. But his publishers are going to do a lot of this for him because they know he’s a money-maker. Lesser-known authors who are traditionally published may not receive that same kind of support and treatment. The publisher may invest less in their marketing and promotion. Sure, the publisher wants these lesser-known authors to do well, but the publishers recognize a higher risk on the profit return. Thus, they may make decisions for a smaller number of books to be printed and fewer paid advertisements. There probably won’t be that huge billboard in Times Square. Thus, these authors must do a lot of the footwork.

In terms of the movie industry. Some movies get all the attention. You see trailers and ads for them all over television and social media. The actors hit all the late-night talk shows and have guest appearances out of the yin-yang. At the same time, other movies released that have much less fuss. The general public may not even hear about them until they have made their way to a streaming service. And some of these movies turn out to become cult classics.

The point I’m trying to make is traditional authors who may not be as well-established in the writing world don’t kick back once they finish writing the book and let the publishers handle everything else. No, they are heavily involved in promoting and marketing. However, the publishers do assist them. What traditional authors don’t have to do is find and pay for editors, cover art, and printing.

There are pros and cons to both traditional publishing and self-publishing. The decision of which to choose is what the author feels is the best fit for him or her. There is no general right or wrong answer. Many writers are hybrids. Despite the method, being an author involves far more than writing a book. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the entire ghostwriter thing.

Some writers are rumored to develop a topic—maybe write a few paragraphs or brief outline—before handing it off to someone else who actually writes and edits the story. This allows the developer of the idea to publish multiple books each year. This is a hands-off approach that the writer pretty much only writes the manuscript and nothing else.

Then, other writers skip steps and do a huge disservice to all writers. These are the writers who write books and publish without editing or with poor editing. For many years, this was the number one reason readers were reluctant to purchase self-published books. It is one thing to spend money on a book that just didn’t resonate with you. It’s quite another to purchase garbage. Yes, I said that. It’s the equivalent of going to a restaurant and not enjoying the taste of the food as opposed to being served undercooked food that is nonedible. Neither is ideal, but, at least, the first option gives the consumer a taste. The other goes straight into the trash—or the emergency room.

Now, before anyone comes at me, most books, even the best-edited ones, have a few minor errors sprinkled throughout. That’s not the type of books I’m talking about here. And yes, there have been garbage traditional published books, which call into the credibility of the publishing house. Some writers have been duped into believing a “publisher” was legit when it was a scam or a predatory publisher. The majority of self-publishing writers take writing seriously and desire to only put their best out there for readers. So, the garbage books I’m talking about is not the norm (or standard) of indie publishing. Yet, as with anything, there will always be a few rotten apples to mess it up for everyone. The entire self-publishing world can’t be held hostage just because a handful of writers refuse to act professionally and do the right thing. It would be like dismissing all physicians because a faction is incompetent.

So, that’s it. What did you think? What is your take on the subject of creative freedom? Do you agree or disagree? Did you find this information helpful or informative? Did you learn anything new, or did it change your opinion? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section.  If you like this post, please click the like button and share. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read.

It’s coming…

September 5, 2024

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Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.

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[image error] Locker Room Love Series [image error]

Out of the Penalty Box (book #1) One minute in the box or a lifetime out.Defending the Net (book #2) Crossing the line could cost the game.Ice Gladiators (book #3) When the gloves come off, the games begin.Penalty Kill (book #4) Let the pucker begin.Future Goals (book #5) The future lies between a puck and a net.

About the Author:

Hi, I’m Genevive, a blogger and contemporary sports romance author. My home is in South Louisiana. If you like snark and giggles with a touch of steamy Cajun and Creole on the side, I may have your poison in my stash of books. Drop by the bayou and have a look around. The pirogues are always waiting for new visitors.