Don’t call yourself an “Aspiring Writer”

Please allow me to share a minor bugbear of mine:

The words “Aspiring writer” (or “Aspiring author”).

Very occasionally, I’ll see this on someone’s Twitter biography and it prompts an inward pang of annoyance. Why? Because even though I understand what the individual is intending to say, they’re actually saying something different.

The intended meaning:

“I aspire to be a professional/published writer/author.”

The unintended meaning:

"I aspire to write” - with it’s implied secondary clause - “but I don’t.”

By writing this, these individuals are selling themselves short.

If you would like to write something, then sit down and write it. By doing so, and performing the act of writing, you become a writer. Not an “aspiring” writer, but an “actual” writer. Your status as a writer is not dependent on whether anyone is giving you money to do so, or even whether anyone reads your work.

Yes, you might not find it easy to refer to yourself as a writer, but the more you write, the easier that’ll be. Then, the more comfortable you are with calling yourself a writer, the more likely it is that other people will think of you as a writer too.

And yes, just getting some words on a page does not automatically lead to a publishing deal or a freelance writing gig, but it’s the first step. The more you write, the better you’ll get at it, and the more likely it is that you will achieve your professional goals.

What would I suggest instead?

For writers seeking a publishing deal:

“Author seeking agent representation.”

(Because you’ll need an agent to find you a deal)

For writers seeking freelance writing work:

“Freelance writer.”

(Because this job title doesn’t differentiate between writers with loads of freelance work and those with none)

Even though other creative industries have the same potential for ‘job-title self-determination’ I tend not to see “Aspiring actor” or “Aspiring musician” on social media, though that may be related to the people I follow. As far as I can tell, this under-selling seems to be a writing thing.

The closest equivalent I can think of is “Self-taught artist”, which always seems an odd choice of phrase. Perhaps someone can explain to me why people write that?

That’s the end of my mini-grumble. Thank you for indulging me. It may seem like I’m being critical, but it is meant constructively.

If you write, you’re a writer. Don’t sell yourself short.