Believe it or not, there are people out there who think self-published people and books are not as significant as traditionally published. That is ignorant and rude. An author is an author, regardless of how they've become such. Granted, authors under a publisher may have more opportunities for promotion or inclusion in big name bookstores. However, that does not mean one book or author is better than another. Authors who are not under the name of a publisher have enough disadvantages against them already, so, please, give them a chance.
But I digress. That is not the point of this article. While there is a slight competition in the book industry, because, let's face it, there's competition in everything even if we try not to let there be, authors are not in the business to prove they're the best. If they are, or if they are in it for the money, they're in the wrong profession and have gotten an ill conceived notion about the rewards of writing books. Okay. I know you're saying that, yes, there are some authors out there who advance in the profession quickly and gain the title of "bestselling" or "most popular", etc, and you're right. However, that does not come easily, and there are no guarantees. It's a waiting game for most.
And even those whom do make it that far, do not become rich beyond their wildest imaginations. It is possible they could be more well-off than others, allowing them to write full-time, or, at least, most of the time, but writing is not money-laundering. I've spoken to a few well-known bestselling authors (No. I will not give names.) who have assured me that the idea that they "sit around drinking champagne while bathing in their cash" is laughable.
Yet, they continue to write. Why? Because they love it. They are passionate about the concept of story telling, and they can't get enough. That is the real reason to become a writer. Which is why there is no difference between self-published or traditionally published authors. Those under a publisher may have learned more than others, but that is a matter of experience; it comes with time.
There has been so much negativity in the community lately, I feel like I need to remind everyone (trad. authors, self-pub. authors, models *hint hint*, designers, editors, etc) that we are all in this together. Not to quote High School Musical too much, but "once we know who we are, we're all stars, and we see that..." W.E. A.L.L. I.N. T.H.I.S. T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R.
