Can You Call Yourself a Writer If You Haven’t Been Published Yet?

I’m going to share a weird secret about myself…

I call myself an author even though I haven’t been published yet. I only tell this to myself and my husband because I know the word author comes with years of hard work and rejection, which I haven’t yet earned.

But I’ll tell you why I think of myself this way.

Seeing myself as an author dictates the decisions I make. It motivates me when my inbox is quiet. It prepares me for the opportunity if and when it should arise. It silences the voices that say you’re not good enough or you’re too old. It validates a lifetime of reading and writing. It connects me with my purpose and returns me to the real reason why I write-not to be known, famous, make money or legitimize the years I’ve devoted to this craft, but to share a deep longing to heal others.

While I do not need the label of author to do this, it’s a mindset shift that helps me to see myself as a professional, to take everything I do-whether it’s attending a virtual conference or read writing books, seriously.

This is what it takes to become what you want to be.

As a creative coach, I have the honor of listening to women share their stories and fears. And often the thing that prevents us from getting to our goals is that deep down inside we feel like frauds, puppets going through the motions afraid we’ll be caught.

After over a decade of interviewing people for articles, I’ve learned we all feel this way because we all start at this place. We’re all in that transitional cocoon of wanting to be years ahead, but we all need to start where we are.

It could take time before you are published, but that doesn’t mean the work you’re doing now is useless. To be a writer requires one thing-to write.

Everything else is mental.

The mental part, however, is crucial to get you through the humps of a writer’s life.

Some days you’ll feel so close and full of hope. And other days you’ll wonder if you’re playing a losing game. This is completely normal. And there are ways you can boost your spirit on harder days when things aren’t looking so bright.

Here are 5 ways to boost your spirits in the meantime:

1. Find a nonprofit you’re passionate about and ask if you could write for them. Volunteer your writing in an area you care about and seeing it published is a great way to remind yourself that what you’re doing is important and worth it.
2. Read memoirs in articles or biographies about people you admire. When you realize that all successful people have failed, often the most successful have had the worst fails, you’ll see this moment you’re in as part of the process, not a reason you should give up.
3. Join a writer’s group. Right now, there are tons of online opportunities to connect with other writers. It’s a great time to find your tribe, the people who will be there for you when things are good and when it’s not.
4. Hire a coach. If it wasn’t for my coach, I wouldn’t have had the courage to quit my 9-5, 11 years ago to be a writer. I’m forever grateful to her and as a coach myself, know the power that comes from a supportive person on your team.
5. Keep a positive folder. In the past, I’ve received beautiful letters from generous people who took the time to tell me they were appreciative of my writing or coaching. I can’t tell you what that means on difficult days. Start a collection now for every message you receive to remind you that what you’re doing is important, making a difference and you’re on your way to becoming published. But as for being a writer? You already are.