Never belittle what you do. Fuck being worried about a stamp of approval. If you’re a writer, say you’re a writer. And say it with confidence.

That goes for anything you choose to be or do.

I was reading posts from a chick who is working on a book.

She talked about outlining the plot, the character development and the extensive research she’s doing. She had written over 150 pages and was planning to write about 200 more.

It sounded like she was putting a lot into her project and was dedicated to seeing it through.

But guess what? She said she isn’t a writer.

At least not yet, because she hasn’t published a book.

My question for people like this is, when do you arrive?

Which mile marker do you need to pass to be a writer? Is it when the book is finished? When it’s listed for sale? Or, not until it has sold 50,000 copies?

But more importantly, who wants to read a book that wasn’t written by a writer?

I don’t. Especially not if I have to pay for it.

Imagine as a freelancer looking for my first assignment, I met a potential client who said, so you’re a freelancer writer?

And imagine I replied, Well sir, I’m actually not a writer yet. But I will be after you hire me and pay me.

Does that make any sense? Do you really think I’ll find work with that approach?

Why would a person who walks the walk, talks the talk and does the work avoid putting a title on it?

For the same reason people write and create things then claim their work really isn’t that good. It’s FEAR!

When you belittle your efforts and distance yourself from firm terms about your work, you’re being a coward. You’re encouraging people to lower their expectations because you don’t think you’ll measure up.

You’re worried that you will have to justify your statements as people  bombard you with doubtful looks and questions.

You don’t want to be asked where you’ve been published, whether you’ve written books, and if so, where those books are sold. You’re afraid your answers aren’t impressive enough.

You’re worried people may ask to see your work or go find it and compare it to other people’s work. They may measure your progress and your accomplishments against someone else’s, and in the end, diminish or dismiss you.

See: How To Get The Winning Formula

When you think about what you’re scared of, it’s really silly. Not to mention self-defeating.

You’re scared that you haven’t succeeded yet. You’re intimidated that there are already people farther down the road, that others have come before you.

There’s always someone who has done more, done better, is more widely known or held in higher esteem. There always will be.

So what? It doesn’t matter. None of that changes your reality.

An office, book sales, fans–those are not the things that make you a writer.

Writing makes you a writer.

Your commitment to continue makes you a writer.

Being new or unpublished is a stage, not a curse, not an insult, and certainly not a disqualification

Every business takes time to build and every career involves a climb. If you’re on the bottom rung of the ladder, so be it. Claim your place, grace that first step, and be on your way up.