The Word for Writers

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All of us are "writers" of one sort or another. Whether it be as a past-time, hobby or an actual career. Many of us are published authors besides just here. Several write freelance in various avenues, a few of us have a book or two published.

For the career writer; have you ever been asked what you do for a living (even if you are only eking out a minimal one) and when you respond that you are a writer you get this look that says "that's nice dear". You can almost feel them patting you on the head like a five year old. I've found that I am rarely taken seriously in some circles when I say I'm a writer or author, do you?

This happens in other areas of life as well. For example, if you are a stay at home Mom, people have this perception that you therefore don't work. You are deemed "just a housewife". I find this very insulting. Yes, I stay at home and manage a household and raise my son. If you think that is not work, then you are sadly mistaken.

I also stay at home and write. I may not be earning a great living at it, yet, but I at least bring a little bit in to the home financially. I'm certainly not bringing in a huge amount from writing on line, but that is not my only writing avenue. My career is a writer, I am proud of that and to be treated as if that is not valid, insults me. I do a lot of reading, research and "brain work" for my writing. I may not be slaving away in 'corporate America' from 9 to 5, but what I do is still as valid a profession as any other.

Many people have this notion that all you have to do is sit down and write something coherent, send it to a publisher or editor and ZIP BOOM BANG, a week later you have a check in your hand for $10,000. If only!! It takes time to write something worthy of being published. It takes many attempts at getting a publisher to even read your work, let alone decide to publish it.

If you are fortunate enough to get something published, many times the work does not end there. You may have to go out and market or promote your work--convincing people to "buy you". Then if you've made a contract with someone to produce more work, you are faced with deadlines and the cycle starts again.

So where is that invisible line that you have to cross over to be taken seriously as a writer? Do you have to have a top 10 seller on the bookshelves? Do you have to make more than triple digits from your writing? Who put that line there anyway?

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