Author or writer?

This subject has been on my mind a fair amount lately, well at least ever since I gave my notice at the bookstore where I work. The reason I quit a job where I have been a faithful employee for over ten years is because I have too much on my plate and its not what I wanted to "be" when I grew up (still working on that one). At first I was feeling bad about "not having a job" but then my sweet husband said, "what? You're just changing careers. You're a writer".

I thought, yeah, I'm a writer. I write. It seems silly but it was profound.
Then I started thinking again, (in a style similar to Winnie-The-Pooh), am I a writer? I write, yes, but I'm published. Specifically I write books, romance, erotica, young adult, Sci fi, paranormal, and everything in between. So when someone asks me what I do for a living, do I say I'm an author? A writer who publishes in a newspaper or magazine is a journalist. A writer who creates poems is a poet. My friend who keeps a journal under her bed writes, but she doesn't classify herself as a writer. She does it more to exercise her demons.

Perhaps "writer" is a more modest term for the job title. I'm not sure, but somehow introducing myself as an author seems more difficult.


I don't believe the title really matters. The distinction isn't really important, but it does say a lot without using a lot of words.
Author.

I like it, but I think I'll stick with writer.