Are You a Professional Writer?

A couple of topics often bandied about on forums and message boards for writers begin by asking, "What's a 'writer"?" and "Who is a 'Professional'?" I gave my opinion of the former in my first post over three years ago. Embarrassingly brief, I said more about what a writer is not than a definition of who is a writer (a writer writes). The "professional" status is even more controversial, usually beginning with "someone who is paid to write" and progressing through "on staff", "earns a living from writing" and "published".

Any of those criteria may apply, but I consider more how the writer conducts business (writing is a business, you know). A general description of professionalism I once heard was that a professional does not let his or her emotions interfere with getting the job done. Being a pretty emotional person, that gave me pause! Here are some signs I look for to determine if a writer is professional:

* works regularly
* keeps records
* has business cards
* continues education
* progresses in quality of work
* interrupts schedule only for emergencies
* gets dressed daily
* designates a work space
* builds a network of professionals

You might notice that I don't expect a professional to be paid or on a staff or even to have a college degree, but I do expect the person to act like a business person on the road to success. When you work from home, it's easy to fall into sloppy, then lazy, habits and to allow housekeeping and family matters to take you away from writing. Behave as if you are in an office, in the public eye, and I guarantee it will reflect in your work. Feel free to add your thoughts on professionalism (and to disagree with me) in a comment or email.