So, I have heard a lot about this A to Z Blogging Challenge, where you post on every day except Sunday, following the letters of the alphabet, for all of April. This year, it started yesterday, but excludes every other Sunday in the month, to match the 26 letters. I was thinking about participating this year. However, I missed the first day yesterday, because I was so excited about the release of emotobooks (Suburbians is live!). So, I am going to write two posts today to make up for it. One based on the letter A and the other based on the letter B. Let's begin!
A is for...Authors! Since self-publishing has really taken off, there has been a lot of debate surrounding how to define an author and separate them from writers. Some people say that you are not an author until you have been traditionally published. This means that you have experienced the works: agents, contracts, book tours, big corporate dealings. On the other end of the spectrum, some people say that you are an author if you have written anything that is available to the public eye. This means that you can self-publish, traditionally publish, or use a vanity publisher. It also could include being featured in magazines, journals, and on blogs. Personally, I think that once you have completed your work, pushing through all the hard work to make your piece a worthwhile read, and put a respectable composition out into the world, that you have become an author. There is so much dedication and perseverance involved in moving your short story or novel from an idea to the harsh world of publishing that I think all writers should be recognized and be called authors.
Just to clarify, and I realize that there are people out there who may disagree with me, but I believe that "author" is a title that must be earned. It is a step above, an acknowledgment, maybe even as distinguished as an award. I think that anyone can be a writer, but it takes something more to be an author.
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