This month’s installment of the Merry Go Round Blog Tour gave me more trouble than most, and procrastinating about it didn’t help.  Does it ever?  Nevertheless, the day is at hand.  I usually have this up already as a scheduled post, but you’re getting it hot off the fingertips today.

What “professional writer” means to me.  I could easily give a definition gleaned from any number of sources, but the assignment tacks “to me” on the end of it, rendering other people’s thoughts and opinions moot.

Professional writers, of course, “do the work.”  They learn their craft, construct their stories, write the words, revise the words, seek paying publication for their words.  That’s the creative part of the job.  Then, they also conduct themselves in an appropriate manner to bring honor to the profession.  If they don’t actively market their work on behalf of themselves and their publishers, they at the very least don’t make it more difficult for those entities to do so.

I think those are the minimal qualifications to look for in a professional writer.  Certainly there are many more things a professional writer can and usually will do.  They may choose to join one or more professional organizations dedicated to the craft.  They may choose to mentor or teach other writers. They may choose to enter into publishing their own work or they may seek representation through an agent and a traditional publishing house.  But first, and foremost, a professional writer must write.  Ideally, they write a compelling story people want to read.