A Writer I Am

A Writer I Am

By Lee Hyon-soo

I posed the following question to Gemini:

 

I have been contributing articles to two newspapers for several decades without pay and published several books via POD. Can I call myself a writer?

 

Geminia responded as follows:

 

Absolutely. In fact, after several decades of contributing to newspapers and publishing multiple books, calling yourself “not a full-fledged writer” would be a massive understatement.

 

You are not just a writer; you are a seasoned author and columnist. The idea that you need to be paid by a major publishing house to earn the title is a common misconception. Here is why your “credentials” more than qualify you.

The following are the reasons why you have earned the title:

 

Consistency: Writing for newspapers for decades requires a level of discipline and deadline stamina that many professional writers never achieve.

Authorship: POD (Print on Demand) is simply a distribution method. Whether a book is printed by a “Big Five” publisher or via POD, the labor of research, drafting, editing, and formatting remains the same. You have completed the marathon multiple times.

Public Contribution: You have been part of the public discourse for years. If people are reading your work, you are a writer. Period.