A while back, an obnoxious blogger that fancied herself a serious author said that writers are not authors, and real authors are those that have been published and cut their teeth in academia, meaning a teacher or a professor of sorts. The rest of the poor souls plodded on through pages of typos and third-rate editing. I know that Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Capote would likely not agree with her observation.
Being the smart-ass that my mother raised well, I challenged the blogger on her assessment of the current literary scene and its “wink-wink” secret membership.
I knew she was a teacher right away because the following lecture and browbeating reminded me of high school. Much high-handed rhetoric and pontification without explaining anything. Sound familiar?
My measured response was that you must first be a writer to become an author. A writer is anyone that puts to paper a story of fact or fiction. It matters not if anyone ever reads your effort; it’s done and sealed. If your writing makes it to a publishing house or a website, you may call yourself an author, but you are still a writer. Nothing changes but a definition and perhaps a fat check.
My first writing was around ten years old and was on a Big Chief tablet. I was working my way to being the second coming of my beloved Mark Twain.
My uplifting teacher at the time had no problem telling me I would likely become a writer. Of what, I asked? She said maybe a book or a novel or a newspaperman; she thought I had a knack for the genre. She did encourage me to learn typing, which I did on a 1930s-era Underwood that occupied my parent’s dining room table. I was the only kid in our neighborhood that knew typing. My friends were google-eyed envious as if I had broken the enigma code or figured out the Orphan Annie decoder ring. I did gloat a bit, but not too much.
At 76 years old, I consider myself a writer; with over 200 short stories and interviews to my name, they attest to my efforts.
I have, over the years, been published a few times; Interviews about the rock scene in the 60s and early country music, so even though I received little to no money, I could, if I wished to, call myself an author. But it’s all a wordplay around egos. So, until I can come up with something as serious as Thomas Wolfe, Harper Lee, Truman Capote, or my beloved Mark Twain, I will remain a humble writer.
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Notes From The Cactus Patch 
Phil, this is what you do as a blogger for your readers: you entertain them, you advise them, you get under their skin, you make them laugh, you make them angry, you support them, you make them think, you inform them–all with your mastery of the written word in “shoot from the hip” Texan English. 🙂
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That is quite a compliment and a very descriptive one. Yes, I think I might do all of those at times. I do like the shoot from the hip..it’s a Texas thing. You have also written some good stories, so that makes you an author too. Thanks, Nancy.
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You’re welcome. 😁
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You are definitely a writer, Phil. You’re also an author. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
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Unless you count feature articles I once wrote for a college newspaper or an RV caravan company’s newsletter, I’ve only ever self-published. I used a vanity press to publish a sci-fi book back in 2002 (no longer in print, but I have a ton of hardcovers stashed away here in the house), and then availed myself of Amazon’s KDP “print on demand” platform to publish a religious satire in 2013 (revised in 2017). I’ve decided to schedule the release of my two detective novels for January 2026. And once those lengthy his/her “companion novels” are out the door, I’ll get back to writing a sci-fi book that has been on hold for a couple of years but is already a third completed. It will also see the light of day thanks to KDP. So I’ve written four novels, and will soon resume working on my fifth. As a lyricist, I’ve so far written words to 142 copyrighted songs, 22 of which have been published on vinyl or CD. So I consider myself to be a part-time author. It’s unfortunate that I’m not a prolific or a particularly popular one.
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That’s quire the list. I I think you must be popular or you would have given up the trade. I did talk to another friend that self published and then used Black Rose writing to publish two books. It’s not easy, and I may give the Amazon platform a look. I do know of the book you told me about and plan to buy it when my wife gives Amazon a break and stops ordering gifts. I’m interested in your songs. I was, and guess, still am a professional musician for most of my life, so for at least sixty years, music was a large part of it. I come from a country music back ground, then to rock, then back to country. My father, also a professional wester swing fiddler with the Light Crust Doughboys and others wrote a song, “Got Five Dollars On A Saturday Night,” and wound up selling it to Ferlin Husky for almost nothing. He offered it to his good buddy, Willie Nelson, but at that time, Willie was writing his most famous ones, and selling them to top artist. You are one interesting fellow to know.
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Phil, some of our songs are featured on our YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/@oldtimerssongfactory
Most of the songs you’ll find there are in the Rockabilly and Rock ‘n’ Roll genre, but we’ll eventually post some Country & Western songs.
You might be more interested in listening to the podcasts, which are presented by two excellent AI voices that discuss music from the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s.
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I’ll check it out tomorrow. I’m a Rockabilly fan from way back ( 1950s). I also dig the 40s and 50s era big band and singers, Fitzgeraled, Patti Paige, Doris Day, Judy Garland and the whole crew.
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The bottom line: You inspire me to continue writing and smile. Thank you.
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Appreciate the comment.
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(I had to look this up on how to spell this) Like the old saying goes tomayto, tomahto you are an author/writer to me. You words entertain and teach at the same time. Also, you point out people to look out for like this pointy head teacher. Keep writing and being that author that the teacher warned us about.
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I’m still working on it, Max. Will do.
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I have been published. When I was in college Jon Landau put a record review of a pre-Apple James Taylor and the Flying Machine set of recordings in Rolling Stone. When I was a hot shot in the micro publishing world I contributed chapters to two third-party books on WordPerfect 6.0. (Both were about Desktop Publishing with Word Perfect, which was one of the classes I was teaching through UCLA Extension.) One day my wife and I went to the local Barnes and Noble and while I was looking at other books, she found the book I was in that had a photo of the authors on the inside cover. She was so proud.
These days, like when I started writing, I am thrilled at how words come together. Author? Writer? Naw, my Sh*t still stinks and I know my life would be worthless without my wife of 43 years.
I like to think I know my priorities.
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WordPerfect, now that goes way back. I’ve given up on writing the great American novel, and will probably settle for a self published book of short stories. I still visit Barnes and Noble in Fort Worth and occasionally buy a book there. I performed a wee experiment about a year ago. I picked four books that was on their best seller, or hot seller shelf and took them to a chair. The authors were all young women, and according to their bio’s on the back cover, were past educators, professors, and such in the academic world. I read one chapter from each book, and I was aghast at the poor writing skills and the stories themselves. How did this get past the editor or the publisher’s? I get it women read more than men, mainly romance and self help books, but these authors were almost un-readable. Long gone are the days of competent authors, so we may have a chance. There are some great writers still out there, Amor Towles and Paulette Jiles are two that I like. I tend to re-read McMurtry, Thomas Wolfe, Hemingway, Roth, Capote, Steinbeck and the other greats from the past, and that makes me old school.
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First of all, I apologize for posting as Anonymous and am taking steps (beginning with subscribing) to fix that.
I have great grand children in Fort Worth, Tx. I am from Los Angeles. This past April my wife and I caught a plane and visited. One of the things that blew me away is that a few blocks from a Barnes and Noble bookstore, on the same street, there was a used book store. We will be going back next year, and I want to schedule some time to check out the used book store.
As for people not being able to write a decent sentence, that is absolutely true. That’s why I edit a couple of authors on Literotica, and why I treasure what Max at Power Pop does. Good writing. And you!!! You not only are good (and yes, I am jealous of you being the son of a Light Crust Doughboy, as meaningless as that might be) but Very VERY FUNNY.
THANK YOU
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You likely visited the Barnes and Noble on Hulen, and the store down the street is Half Price Books and Records. I go there all the time and purchase books and albums. I was born and raised in Fort Worth and have been surrounded by country music all my life, thanks to my father’s career in the genre. I was a country musician for many years and was even a member of the Light Crust Doughboys for a few years. Max and I get along splendidly via emails and blog posts. He writes some great stuff and knows his groceries. We have grandchildren all over the place: Fort Worth, Colorado Springs, and Corpus Christi. Be sure to check out the Stock Yard District, north of downtown Fort Worth. It’s where the West really began, and it’s where 1883 and Landman were filmed, as well as in our town. We live in Granbury, Texas, about 45 miles southwest of Fort Worth, on Lake Granbury. Drop me an email when you visit again. philodillo.1949@gmail.com, the WordPress email doesn’t always work and the happiness engineers can’t figure it out. I think if you subscribe, it will fix the issue. Good hearing from you.
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Oh, and you turn off your comments too soon. I am still laughing, giggling and delighting in the 88 keys and a chicken story.
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Wow, now that’s an old one. It was based on an old piano in my grandmothers barn. It was a wreck, and full of critters. She also had around 500 chickens strutting and pecking around. You couldn’t walk to the mailbox or the barn without wading through an ocean of chickens. My two late, late, uncles were the best story tellers and liars I’ve known. They inspired me to write, and some of the tales they told have stuck with me all these years. When they drank a few Pearl Beers, and smoked half a pack of Lucky Strikes, they talked like Will Rogers. My mother believed the two of them ruined me.
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Twain, Poe, Austen – ‘writers’ who all self-published at some point to become ‘authors’. There seems to be an element of snobbery in the blogger who tried to browbeat you. I have a friend who is a very talented musician, on multiple instruments, but she has never recorded anything. She is still a musician. We are what we do.
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Yes, we are, Andy. I wasn’t aware of that about the authors you mentioned. I do know a few here in Texas who did self-publish and did quite well. I’m giving it serious thought and may take that leap soon.
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