Monday, July 16, 2012

What Makes Someone an Author?

I've written a novel.  I think it's pretty good.  It's off being read by someone I trust and I think I'll be sending out queries to agents in the next couple weeks.  Does that make me an author?  Do I have to be published before I can say to people, "I'm an author."?  Or do I just not say that because it sounds priggish and egotistical?

I know I'm a teacher.  For one, I'm employed to be one.  But that's not the main reason I believe it of myself.  To be completely frank, there are people I know who are employed as teachers who are no more actual teachers than I'm a lumberjack (and I'm okay...).  They are, in many cases, assigners.  They assign reading or problems or tests or whatever.  But no real teaching goes on.  I know in my heart that I am a teacher.  It's baked right in.  I believe I would be a teacher even if I were employed as a ditch digger.  It's not what I do--it's what I am.  I teach because I'm a teacher, not the other way around. 

I guess the question is at what point I will feel like I'm a writer.  I guess writer is a more accurate word than author anyway.  Or is it?  I write.  But so does nearly everyone else in the world.  But what I wrote was a book.  Not many people (comparatively, at least) can say that.  So what is it about writing a book that makes me more of a writer than someone, say, who writes letters or writes down recipes, or whatever else people may write down?  So maybe author is the word I seek.  Is published author different from author?  Or is it like being a teacher?  Do I write because I'm a writer or am I a writer because I write?  Do these questions have any meaning?  Will knowing the answers change me in any real way?  I have no idea.  But I do ask them of myself and of anyone else who may stumble upon this entry.  If you consider yourself an author, what makes that word true in your mind?

3 comments:

  1. I was a teacher too, now I do staff development for teachers, not because I wanted to leave the students but because I wanted to make a difference.

    I have considered your question myself (which is how I found your post). At the moment, I have published 24 nonfiction educational books and will have 30 out by the end of 2013. I could live on just my royalty checks. I only share thus because I am still debating what title I have. If peopl ask, I am a teacher first (for the same reason you mention). Then I am a presenter and I have written some books. That is exactly it. If need be, I will pull the publisher author card but I don't feel that is who I am. I am just sharing information to a larger audience through Barnss and Noble and such. I guess I am an author - but I almost reserve that term for people like JK Rowlings and John Grisham. It is a question to ponder.I am a teacher too, although now I focus on conducting staff development for teachers, not because I wanted to leave the students but because I wanted to make a difference for as many students as possible.

    I have considered your question myself (which is how I found your post). At the moment, I have published 24 nonfiction educational books and will have 30 out by the end of 2013. I could live on just my royalty checks. I only share this because I am still debating what title I have - even with this number of books out. If people ask, I am a teacher first (for the same reason you mention). Then I am a presenter and I have written some books. That is exactly it. If need be, I will pull the published author card but I don't feel that is who I am. I am just sharing information to a larger audience through Barnss and Noble and such. I guess I am an author - but I almost reserve that term for people like JK Rowlings and John Grisham. It is a question to ponder.

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  2. I fixed those typos... Errrr. The corrections didn't take.

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  3. Haha, I hate it when that happens to me too! Thanks for the comment. You've given me even more food for thought. Plus, it's nice to know someone actually read my post!

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