{"id":3501,"date":"2024-08-28T18:56:22","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T18:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/josephrauch.com\/therauchreview\/?p=3501"},"modified":"2026-04-27T10:07:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T10:07:28","slug":"author-vs-writer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/josephrauch.com\/therauchreview\/articles\/author-vs-writer\/","title":{"rendered":"Am I a Writer or an Author?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What makes an author an author and a writer a writer? It\u2019s a fair question, isn\u2019t it? Many people consider themselves authors today. Others don’t, but maybe they should. I\u2019ve always felt torn between the two terms, wondering which one most clearly explains who I am and what I do.<\/p>\n

When starting the pre-sale campaign for my debut book<\/a>, my author coach insisted I refer to myself as an author in conversation and on social platforms. The thought alone was terrifying, but he assured me it would help boost my confidence and, in time, feel more established in my new role. I was, after all, an author according to some definitions.<\/p>\n

Distinguishing An Author From a Writer and Sorting Through Questions<\/h2>\n

If you do a basic Google search on the difference between an author and writer, you\u2019ll find both terms are used to represent those who write professionally. Authors, according to highly ranked online sources, tend to publish and sell their work while having more experience in the areas of research and storytelling. I\u2019m not sure how much I agree with this notion, so I decided to ask Joseph Rauch, the founder of this publication, who is also a full-time writer and author of \u201cThe Last of the Mentally Ill<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

Rauch pointed out how more often than not, it\u2019s the word, \u201cwriter,\u201d that appears in job titles, not the word, \u201cauthor.\u201d There are Copywriters, Content Writers, Ghostwriters, Technical Writers, UX Writers, Screenwriters, Staff Writers \u2014 several of which I\u2019m sure have sold their work and done their own type of research and storytelling at times.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe definition of being an author is highly subjective,\u201d Rauch said. He mentioned how some might consider anyone who has ever written anything an author, while others might fall under the popular belief that authors are only those who have written or published a book.<\/p>\n

Then there are places like Archangel Ink, which suggests<\/a> writers are service-oriented, and authors are more self-oriented. Writers consider the opinions of others to bring about desired outcomes. Authors, however, will usually not write something they do not want to write. They aren\u2019t as concerned with market trends and have a \u201ccreative stubbornness.\u201d This disposition motivates them to write the stories in their mind, even if it means no one buys or reads their book.<\/p>\n

The questions I have are:<\/p>\n