Being An Author Is More Than Just Writing
The difference between a writer and an author is vast
Writing is such a freeing and brave act.
The dedication and creativity it craves to spin words into a story take skill. And many writers write for the sheer enjoyment of writing, never wanting to take the next step to share it with an audience, which is completely fine. But for those who take the next step, the difference between author and writer is bigger than you think.
Because an author wears numerous hats in order to get their book from a dream to a finished product in the hands of readers.
What hats do they wear?
Marketing
Editing
Media Consultant
Designer
Researcher
Accompanying these hats are job descriptions that are required to gain an audience for your book and help build your audience.
What are the roles an author takes on?
Finding a reliable pool of alpha and beta readers
Building an audience for your book
Consistently posting content on social media
Engaging with your potential audience
Researching keywords, titles, and covers in your genre
Finding ARC readers at release time
Creating a website that matches your color scheme across social media
Creating a process to publish (Creating a Process Removes the Uncertainty of Self-Publishing)
Marketing your work
This is because becoming an author means you are beginning to build a career.
When building a career as an author, you are going to develop more content to keep your audience engaged. An audience you are continuously working to develop. But this is the next step necessary in establishing yourself.
And once move past the writer stage, the authorship stage can be just as rewarding.