I think a lot of writers are unintentionally modest. I know I am. I have a hard time mentioning that I have written a poetry book, even to people I know. I think maybe it's not that big of deal, especially since I know so many people have done it. But it is a big deal, and authors need to mention that they have written books in order to sell them. Part of the reason I don't mention that I write is because somewhere deep inside, and untruly, I think that writing is not work. The biggest reason I suspect I think that is because I don't get paid much for my work. Some authors may say writing is not work because it's fun. But it is work, work can be enjoyable!
I was at a family reunion and was asked the dreaded question, "so what do you do?" by my aunt. I mentioned taking care of my Autistic daughter, feeling inadequate because despite being paid to take care of my 22 year old daughter, I am her mother and am supposed to do that. I also felt depressed because I had to quit my job earlier in the year because of my health. I felt inferior. Then I mentioned taking a proof reading and editing class with my goal to get paid in that sector of English. My aunt then surprised me by asking me if I still wrote poetry. I was happy to say, "yes I do!" I suddenly felt better about myself because I realized I am doing something, I am working.
I also remembered that in my last job, I had put writer on my resume. I was hesitant to do that, but I had made a little money through freelancing on Upwork. I felt that I could honestly put that as work experience on there since I got paid. I was surprised a few years later when one of my boss's said they were excited to hire me because I had writer on my resume. Even though I had trouble accepting it as an actual job, other people didn't. You never know what is going to happen. In the case of looking for a job or making money, don't be modest!
Even if an author is not getting paid they are still working. They still spend valuable time putting pen to paper, and/or typing their stories or poems up. Then going back and making sure their work is polished. Some people stop there, but all the time put in is the equivalent of an actual job. And then there are the writers who try to get published, either through traditional means or by self-publishing. It takes time to send out manuscripts and then a lot of waiting for rejection or acceptance. If an author gets rejected they have to send out their manuscript somewhere else. It takes time, and is work, to find who to send your manuscript to. Then there are those who may self-publish or who decide to self-publish after getting rejected. Now that's a lot of work! You have to choose which market you're going to publish with, and learn about their requirements. There may be a lot of tutorials or web pages to go through to do it right. Additionally, self-published authors have to market their own work. That truly feels like a job to me, yet, and contradictorily, because I've made so few sales my head tells me it's not a job. I may not be extremely successful but I am realizing, that yes I do actually work, by marketing and writing. I hope other writers out there proudly exclaim that they're authors, even if they're not making any money yet!
