Are you a "real" author?
Are you a "real" author?
How to know for sure
Being a self-published author used to carry a huge stigma.
I still remember this 2016 article → For me, traditional publishing means poverty. But self-publish? No way
If you were writing in the early 2010s, self-publishing was what you did when you weren’t “good enough” to get a traditional publishing deal!
Now, with so many changes in trad-publishing and so many new ways for authors to market their books (and keep the majority of their royalties), indie publishing is no longer taboo or stigmatized …
… unless you’re my long-distance uncle who always ask me if I’m still self-publishing or if I can finally call myself a “real” author.
Throughout my career as an author, I’ve had people question the validity of my life choices.
“You mean he got his Master’s degree in Marketing and had a high paying job, but he quit it so that he could stay at home and write NOVELS?”
Yup, that’s exactly what I mean!
Even today, though, we have limitations (self-induced as well as societal) that make us question our validity. Seems like we’re Pinocchios, always wondering if we’re a real author yet.
And how do you define what makes a real author, anyway?
If you define it just by how much money you make, then that means that most earlier authors whose works are loved and revered today wouldn’t be “real.”
So then, is being a real author about the critical acclaim you receive? What about the author who gets lambasted by the literary fiction crowd but comfortably brings home half a million dollars a year in book sales?
Some people judge being a real author by whether or not you do the work full-time. But we all know of famous, popular, critically acclaimed, financially successful authors who take long breaks between books. Similarly, there are people who can spend a decade writing for 50 hours a week but never publish anything.
So what actually makes a real author?
You’re a real author if you put your books out in the world even though it feels like the scariest step you’ve ever taken in your entire life.
You’re a real author if you understand what it means to bare your soul on the page, get hateful feedback, pick yourself up, and keep writing.
You’re a real author if you don’t define your worth by your reviews or your royalties. You write because you Just. Can’t. Stop.
So happy writing, and keep creating the worlds, characters, chapters, and stories nobody can write but you!
To your success!
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About Chase Austin
I have spent 10+ years writing stories and marketing them. I’ve failed and succeeded over the years, and these are some of my tidbits on how I started my author business, perfected marketing, and more.
Here you’ll find resources to help you kick more ass with your words. No fluff, only actionable tips, and tricks if you are looking to make a living through writing, or just use it as a side hustle.
Things I like: Long walks, Reading about anything and everything, Telling stories and chess.
Visit me at www.thechaseaustin.com. Want to say hi, email me at contact@thechaseaustin.com.