Writer vs Author

Whether you're a writer lucky enough to be published and out there talking to groups, or a reader who frequents groups that talk about books, face to face or online, eventually someone will ask, "Which term is preferable, writer or author?" Which of course leads to the further question -- is there any difference?

I used to think "Who cares?" and I can't remember what I answered whenever I was asked that question. I thought of the two terms as interchangeable and I still tend to use them that way myself. However, just recently as I've struggled with whether or not to seriously start writing again after almost ten years of retirement, and particularly within the past week, it has occurred to me that there is a difference between a writer and an author. And I do care. And what I am, for better or worse, is a writer.

So what's the difference? (This is according to me, you understand, I have no clue what the correctness police would say.) The difference is, a writer is a person whose natural and preferred form of expression is to write, and who practices that form of expression often, in various different ways. An author is a person who writes, who has published what he or she has written, and who works hard to see that her book or poem or play reaches as many people as possible. The distribution of the work -- which usually involves selling -- is only slightly less important than the act of creating it.

Where I fall down is in that part. I am no good at selling stuff, particularly when it's basically me have to sell. The publicity side of writing always was hard for me. Yes, I do like to talk to people and I've been told I'm even good at speaking to large groups, but it scares me, every single time. And because it scares me, I used to dread it -- even to the point of sometimes it made me physically ill. That's not something I like to admit, but there you have it.

An author has a sort of persona, a public reputation, to maintain. I was so naive about this when I went to my first Bouchercon, in Minneapolis in I think the fall of 1995, I didn't have a clue what to expect -- the crowds, the people, the lines, the noise. Most of all the noise -- I felt unreal a lot of the time. And that was only the beginning. I did enjoy meeting people but I was totally unprepared for it, and for how strange it would make me feel, kind of awed by the whole thing, and vaguely embarrassed. It's hard to describe. That feeling never quite went away, and over the years when I made mistakes and alienated people, as inevitably happens at least a few times, it was out of an awkwardness I never got over, no matter how hard I tried to hide it. I'm so impressed by people who carry off the author persona thing well. There are a lot of them who do; I started to name names but decided not to, for concern I might cause offense. You just never know about that.

But: I was supposed to be an author. I had responsibilities to my editor, my publisher, my agent, and so I tried to do it right. There must have been more of an author in me than I ever realized, because I just found her again during the past few days.

I found her while I've been trying to understand why it was so important to me to have a surprise element to my "tales of the latents" idea, why I cared so much when I found out that other, much bigger people are going with a concept I'd thought was unique, and thus the surprise is gone. Cared so much, the Muses help me, that I almost gave up. Only, I didn't. because guess what? It was only the author in me who cared. The part of me that once learned it's important not just to write it, you have to sell it too. And it's going to be a much harder sell now than it would have been if it had stayed unique.

This is how I know now that what I really am is a writer and not an author: Because I'm going ahead with my tale of the latents anyway. I have a story I really want to tell, and I'm going to tell it, no matter what. There are real-world tehnicalities to be considered, such as an agent who has his own standards to uphold, and a publisher who has an option on my "next work of fiction" (quoting the contract), apparently until the end of time (I'd been hoping there might be a 10 year limit, the way you can't prosecute some crimes after a certain number of years have gone by, but no such luck). So they can have their say, but I'm sticking with this regardless. Because I'm a writer, and writing is what I do, and this is what I'm writing now.

I make you guys, who are good enough to be reading Nonny's blog, a promise: If I can't distribute this story, when it's done, any other way, I'll put it up here chapter by chapter. For free. So hang in there with me. Meanwhile, from time to time when I get writing-type thoughts that seem of broad enough interest, I'll continue to put them here.