Professional or Not? Legitimately Published or Not?

A conversation between me and a friend:

Friend: "Steph, I just got a publishing contract with XX publishing company and I got a $4000 advance!"

Steph: "Awesome! That's so cool."

Friend: "I have edits due by this date and covers will be out this date. It's so stressful. Lucky you don't have this sort of thing."

Steph: ::raises eyebrows::: "Howso?"

Friend: "Well, you're not professionally or legitimately published so you don't have things like real deadlines and all that."

Steph: "What do you mean?"

F...