What makes an author an author?

                             
I have noticed an interesting trend on facebook and other topics of conversation. Some are of the mind that if we are an indie author, we aren't really an author. We are just striving to be one. We have written, edited, re-written, edited again and finally published a book. We then market, promote it, edit the story again, and advertise our book. A recognized author is one who has found an agent to do everything for them except write the book. The author writes and the agent markets the book.

 I have noticed that some indie authors who find themselves conversing with agented authors suddenly are above the rest of the indie people. Many more though, still work hard to hopefully some day be accepted as an author. We work on our craft, we strive to be better and do better. We look up how to format and how to space and indent. Which font to use, which format to save in. We do all this in hopes to someday be accepted as an author. The only thing I have to say to this is, "Wake up!" We are authors! We are Agents! We are Editor's and formaters and publishers! We do the work that a whole building of people normally do for one author! We work harder and longer for less money and a whole lot less respect.

What those of us as Indie authors need to realize is this, "We are Authors, We are Writers." We are also so much more because we have to do so much more. We have arrived. We are there. Our name is in print, our book can be bought online from a site. Our hopes and dreams are in those words that are bundled nicely in a book. The artwork that many have painstakingly worked on to get "just right". The cover, the introduction of the book, the brief outline that is needed to describe the book. All of our blood sweat and tears are in those pages.
Oh and just to set a record straight. One thing I have noticed about agented authors who have made it. (Not all) If you ask them how they made it and what steps they took to get there, its like a huge secret that can only be passed to another of their kind. While an Indie author will help each other out no matter who it is. So if someone wants to know who I would rather be? I would rather be an Indie author and help others out and give information freely about how to become a writer and help someone else acheive their dream then to become closed off and not help anyone but myself.
To sum it all up, If you have written a book and published it through Kindle Direct Publishing, Smashwords, Createspace, PubIt or the many other sites out there, then guess what? You are an AUTHOR! if you are working on a book, novella, novel, short story or even a book of poetry, then you are a WRITER! You are there you have arrived!