Authors, Published Authors, and Multi-Published Authors

Remember the Great Chain of Being? A similar hierarchy exists in the writing world, substituting for animal, man, and God the similarly stratified author, published author, and multi-published author. The terms aren't as self-explanatory as they seem. Authors are people who write. Published authors have a book out. Multi-published authors have several books out. But there is a mighty gulf fixed between author and published author -- and not just any publication will bridge it. For example, you could spend a lifetime publishing short stories in major journals and still not be considered by some a "published author." Sure, you've been published, but not in book form. By the same token, if you publish your own book, the odds are it won't count.

Legitimate publication gets you airborne, but you're still hugging the treeline. Up above the clouds are the multi-published authors. Technically, two books will get you there, but to maintain your altitude it's nice to have four or more, to be releasing new titles regularly.

I have one book out, two coming up in 2010, and two more after that. This means I'm currently a published author on track to become a multi-published author. So I'm not complaining about the hierarchy. I understand why the distinctions are helpful to think about, since most of us would like to make enough money at writing to keep doing it and end up with a shelf of good books at the end of our run. But there's one thing I object to: the terms themselves. They're not meant to sound arrogant, but I think they do. Plus, they are aggressively inelegant, which seems strange for a gaggle of wordsmiths.

Whenever I hear someone say "I'm a published author," it sounds like an expression of insecurity. I don't want you to confuse me with all these wannabes. I'm a published author. Fortunately, I've never heard anyone refer to herself as a "multi-published author" (someone else typically does that for you), but the phrase makes me cringe. It's sort of like the equally awkward "multi-Platinum artist," except that it refers not to awards but to the literary equivalent of albums. Imagine calling a band with two albums out a "multi-recorded artist."

I was explaining all this at the Calvin Festival, chatting with Michelle Pendergrass and Jennifer Tiszai, and one of them asked, "Then what are you going to call yourself when you have multiple books out?" An author, I said. That's hard enough, most days. If someone comes up with less artless terms, I'll consider them. In the meantime, if you ever hear me talking about being a published author or a multi-published author, you have my permission to shoot me.

Comments

[lisa]

I just say I'm a writer and leave it at that. Some people will ask what kind of writer you are and if you're published; some just leave it as is and then you don't have to have the ensuing conversation. But if you say "author" you're opening yourself up to follow-up questions you might not otherwise have had to answer.

For me the term author signifies something you have done. Writer says what you actually do. I write. I don't sit down and author anything. I sit down and write. I dunno. Maybe I'm an idiot. But there you have it.

[Michelle Pendergrass]

I had a hard time putting "author" on my business card since I'm not really all that. I mean, I am an author. I'm a writer. I'm not published so I wasn't sure if I should put it on there.

I'm not sure why Jen asked that. I tend to refer to people as authors whether they have one book or more out.

[J. Mark Bertrand]

Lisa -- I like the ambiguity of "writer," too. (And dread follow-up questions of any kind -- like, "what books have you written? why haven't I heard of them? how much money can you make doing that? what's your real job?")

Michelle -- My latest business card doesn't give me a title at all, so I'm familiar with the angst associated with the term. Another hard one for me is "novelist," which is how I think of myself, but until I have a few on the shelf it will always feel strange (and perhaps even then). Maybe I should start saying I'm a dilettante.

[Michelle Pendergrass]

I totally had to look it up. But I like dilettante. I like it quite a lot. It fits you.

I'd have to find a word that meant clumsy and like the cliched "bull in a China shop" because I hardly ever feel artistic. I have visions of a woman with wild hair, beady necklaces and gypsy clothes dancing while she paints and writes. Not some barefoot girl like me who likes to dig worms out of her garden. LOL