just because you have written a book does not make you an author

[Prestidigitweeze]

Catlady:

Your definition of artists as professionals would make more sense if you referred to them as professional artists. A person who makes money from art, whether occasionally or constantly, is to that extent a professional artist. A person who does not is an artist all the same, but deciding that money determines the level of the quality of the work itself is arbitrary.

The next level of discussion might be to try to determine whether excellence is a fixed attribute or simply a matter of collective preference to be decided from year to year by consensus. If the latter is true, then perhaps you're using money as your gauge for popularity.

[moonshot]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I'm leaving good or bad creations in the middle in this discussion, but I do understand what CatLady says, and also what moonshot means.

If you would ask me at a party: "Hey man, what do you normally do?"

I could answer: "I'm a Hammond organ player."
I could also answer: "I'm a photographer."
Or: "I'm an author."
Or: "I'm a martial artist."
Or: "I'm a chess player."
Or....

It's true. I'm all of those.

I would not be surprised to get a follow-up question:

"Cool! What band do you tour with / in what magazines did your pictures appear / what books have you written / in what movies do you play / what tournament did you win last?"

If you tell people "I'm a ....", the expect that you make your primary living on it. If not, then you're not going to mention this if people are asking after your occupation.

In my situation, the only correct answer would be: "I'm a software engineer," as that is my primary source of income, and I *could* mention that I do one of the other things for fun, and sometimes make some money with it.

If you would make the point that you consider yourself an author first, and the supporting job second, you'd say something like: "I am a fantasy author, but regrettably, I don't make enough money on writing yet. Therefore, I also have a day job/part time job as a software engineer as well."

Damn. Quantum Thread. *runs*

Thank you and CatLady..... here am I with my bow and arrows and they are coming at me with machine guns.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by moonshot

Correct. Well sort of. But let me split hairs like so many are doing here. They don't write books at all, they write stories.

By ruling of the Council of Genres, "stories" are classified as that which is distributed by means of the OralTrad storycode engines. Books are distributed means of the Book v8.3 storycode engines.

Note: As far as I am aware, the ereader has not yet been introduced there, the timeline is a little behind ours. However, I am sure the next version of Book will include support for digital distribution.

They too are merely different delivery mechanisms.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by moonshot

Thank you and CatLady..... here am I with my bow and arrows and they are coming at me with machine guns.

Nah... no machine guns, but you are trying to define something that is undefinable, and that's been pointed out to you several times.

You could have said this:

"I want to only read books by professional authors, because I am of the opinion they are of a certain quality, as compared to self-published works."

Now you can determine (for yourself, only) what a professional author is:

"A professional author is someone who has proven his quality by getting his works published by one of the five big publishers. Many copies are sold, so they must be of good quality, or people would not buy them."

There, all done. There is YOUR line in the sand, and it's perfect, uncrossable, and non-eraseable: the authors published by the big five (or was it six?) are the real authors, all the other ones are not.

Now you can go to any book store, pick up any book by one of the five big publishers in one of the genres you like. Now, you will be 100% sure that you have a quality book, written by a real author, and therefore, you will enjoy it.

However, you must keep in mind that this is YOUR line in the sand, because I could draw the exact same line, but be on the other side, and consider those people to be authors, and still be right as well. Watch:

"I consider people who have NOT published books by one of the big five real authors. People publishing through the big five just write useless, commercial drivel that sells well. They're not authors. They just do their job. The self-pubs are doing it for the love of writing, and create original, non-mainstream works. I love that! They're real authors."

See?

This is the exact same line (the one dividing the book market between the big five and not-big five), and you are on one side stating that those people are authors, and I'm on the other side stating exactly the same about the people at my side.

Now, who's right?

We both are.

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Now, who's right?

We both are.

Now, Now... No reasonable posts in Quantum Threads.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Now, Now... No reasonable posts in Quantum Threads.

That was a legitimate quantum physics answer, man. We're both right, depending who is doing the critique

Spoiler:

PS: Please note that I have no knowledge of quantum physics apart from the writings in Wikipedia.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

That was a legitimate quantum physics answer, man. We're both right, depending who is doing the critique

Spoiler:

PS: Please note that I have no knowledge of quantum physics apart from the writings in Wikipedia.

You are determined to blow this thread to Kingdom Come, aren't you?

[moonshot]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Nah... no machine guns, but you are trying to define something that is undefinable, and that's been pointed out to you several times.

You could have said this:

"I want to only read books by professional authors, because I am of the opinion they are of a certain quality, as compared to self-published works."

Now you can determine (for yourself, only) what a professional author is:

"A professional author is someone who has proven his quality by getting his works published by one of the five big publishers. Many copies are sold, so they must be of good quality, or people would not buy them."

There, all done. There is YOUR line in the sand, and it's perfect, uncrossable, and non-eraseable: the authors published by the big five (or was it six?) are the real authors, all the other ones are not.

Now you can go to any book store, pick up any book by one of the five big publishers in one of the genres you like. Now, you will be 100% sure that you have a quality book, written by a real author, and therefore, you will enjoy it.

However, you must keep in mind that this is YOUR line in the sand, because I could draw the exact same line, but be on the other side, and consider those people to be authors, and still be right as well. Watch:

"I consider people who have NOT published books by one of the big five real authors. People publishing through the big five just write useless, commercial drivel that sells well. They're not authors. They just do their job. The self-pubs are doing it for the love of writing, and create original, non-mainstream works. I love that! They're real authors."

See?

This is the exact same line (the one dividing the book market between the big five and not-big five), and you are on one side stating that those people are authors, and I'm on the other side stating exactly the same about the people at my side.

Now, who's right?

We both are.

Drawing a line in the sand means that you can't cross it. Having agreed my line, you are now attempting to cross it but you would not be able to.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by moonshot

Drawing a line in the sand means that you can't cross it. Having agreed my line, you are now attempting to cross it but you would not be able to.

Unless you are already on opposite sides of the line to begin with.

[arjaybe]

I'm an author. Prove I'm not.

Isn't it funny how the silliest things make for the longest threads?

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by moonshot

Drawing a line in the sand means that you can't cross it. Having agreed my line, you are now attempting to cross it but you would not be able to.

Seriously, this is what's wrong about your whole premise. *You* want to draw the line and you want *us* to abide by it. Ain't gonna happen.

Actually, enough of this. Time to move on. Nothing useful to see here.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by moonshot

Drawing a line in the sand means that you can't cross it. Having agreed my line, you are now attempting to cross it but you would not be able to.

Dude... I'm beginning to get the feeling that you are making a conscious effort to be obnoxious. I agree to you drawing your line, but at the moment you do it, I am making the choice of NOT being on your side.

You can't force people to be on your side. You know why?

Because that will create a fracking war. (For proof, see history.)

edit: basically what jgaiser says just above me.

[moonshot]

Originally Posted by arjaybe

I'm an author. Prove I'm not.

Isn't it funny how the silliest things make for the longest threads?

........... then there must be a lot of serious stuff that no one is interested in.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by moonshot

........... then there must be a lot of serious stuff that no one is interested in.

Assuming that paying attention to this thread necessitates ignoring the rest of the world??

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Wait.. Some books don't have an author? Could you point me a one of these authorless books?

Can I nominate the Bible or the Qur'an?