is it still possible to be author?

[prognastat]

As long as you aren't terrible and can maintain a stable output over a relatively long period of time you're already ahead of most writers at least when it comes to web novels. That is to say that it's a marathon not a sprint. Outlast the others and you reign supreme.

If you want to make an actual living doing it though it's both a sprint and a marathon.

 

[PancakesWitch]

its no longer possible unfortunately, all the tickets to become an author were sold like half a year ago, but there are still some fanfic writer tickets available, for $10k each

 

[Deleted member 84247]

Now, everyone is an author. Is it over over-saturated now?

The first sentence answers the thread. It's clearly possible to be an author since everyone does it. You can't oversaturate authoring. It's impossible. There are boundless stories to tell, only limited by your imagination and creativity.

 

[J_Chemist]

Yes, writing is not equal to being a writer. A writer is someone who has skill and talent (and more importantly, discipline and persistence) on a level good enough to earn a living through writing, or at least with the capacity to reap financial gains from their creative output.

As for an author, practically everybody is an author of something. Even if it's only a grocery list. Being an author merely means you have "authored" some written work, even if it's an unfinished one. ;)


Word.

Well, except for the AI* part. I think that problem is being blown out of proportion from people who are too future-shocked to get out of their comfort bubble and embrace new paradigms.

Spoiler

*(They're not even AIs, people. They are expert systems; learn your definitions. Ah, who am I kidding...)

 

[IanWhite2105]

Yes, anyone who writes and posts stuff on the internet seems to think they are an author but only people who get published and/or printed should call themselves authors. Call yourself a writer if you’d like but referring to most of the people who post on this website as a “writer” is like calling year 10 students mathematicians just because they got an 80% on a weekly test. If any of the “Top 100” works on this site ever reached my desk then I would have to fire most of the people in my department for even thinking it would be worth the effort of reading let alone wasting a single cent on.

The first sentence answers the thread. It's clearly possible to be an author since everyone does it. You can't oversaturate authoring. It's impossible. There are boundless stories to tell, only limited by your imagination and creativity.

By definition an author is someone who has been published and printed by a company.

 

[prognastat]

By definition an author is someone who has been published and printed by a company.

That's not the definition of author though... neither is it by a legal standard.

 

[ArchlordZero]

Ask this question to Tiktokers

 

[J_Chemist]

Ask this question to Tiktokers

 

[ACertainPassingUser]

Becoming Author is easy,

Just create something and claim to be the Author.

Congratulation, youre an Author now.

By definition of the book, youre an author, someone who creates his own work.
--------

Making money from Being an Author is quite easy, just sell the thing you created to at least one person.

Once you get the money, youre finally "making money".
---------

Making a living from just being an Author,

Now thats hard.

Your created works need to be popular enough to create lots of demand.

Most people only got the likes and share at maximum.

Many Authors who get more money than average still need to find other source of income to live for themselves.

While office workers that perform beyond average are getting more money than them.

-----------

Therefore, do your daily job as the thing to supoot your life. And become an Author as the side thing you really want and really love to do.

Still tho, always find more source of income and csreer promotion. More money is always better.

 

[Temple]

OP probably means is it possible to write in the popular web novel genres and still gain a substantial following considering there are tons of web novels out there. So, yeah, oversaturation question of the popular web novel genres. I personally think it's still possible. We can look over at romance stories (the wattpad kind, not the web novelly sort of romance). Romance online stories are more ancient and vast than web novels. Abusive billionaire playboys probably outnumber OP MCs. Seriously though, romance authors still come and go to this day, and still use the same tropes.

 

[Sagacious_Punk]

The first sentence answers the thread. It's clearly possible to be an author since everyone does it. You can't oversaturate authoring. It's impossible. There are boundless stories to tell, only limited by your imagination and creativity.

The question the OP probably asks isn't whether writing itself is saturated or not, but rather the readership base available to writers. Which totally is today. OP just worded their post poorly.

You know, you may think you look funny or cool, but this just demonstrates your ability to participate in an actual debate.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

You know, you may think you look funny or cool, but this just demonstrates your ability to participate in an actual debate.

Are you seriously going to respond like this to a joke(meme pic)? Like seriously? Or did I ruin your setup for a joke, your majestic comeback, by replying? Give it to me straight.

 

[Sagacious_Punk]

Are you seriously going to respond like this to a joke(meme pic)? Like seriously? Or did I ruin your setup for a joke, your majestic comeback, by replying? Give it to me straight.

First of all, you are not the person who posted that meme?...

Second, going ballistic from such a simple verbal (figuratively) riposte makes me wonder how you've survived the interned so far. You need thicker skin to swim the digital oceans.

Third, do you really think a meme was an appropriate response to my post? If you compare the actual contents of the post and the meme-reply?
Give it to me straight.

Finally, from where I come from, a certain amount of netiquette is expected. Reacting to a serious discussion/post in a non-serious or dismissive manner is considered immature or rude. Consider how it would've looked if it was a face-to-face conversation.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

First of all, you are not the person who posted that meme?...

I am not.

Second, going ballistic from such a simple verbal (figuratively) riposte makes me wonder how you've survived the interned so far. You need thicker skin to swim the digital oceans.

I would agree that it sounds sarcastic or scathing. I was genuinely curious, but wasn't able to keep the neutral tone. Happens to me all the time whenever I write in English.

Third, do you really think a meme was an appropriate response to my post? If you compare the actual contents of the post and the meme-reply?
Give it to me straight.

More than appropriate.

Finally, from where I come from, a certain amount of netiquette is expected. Reacting to a serious discussion/post in a non-serious or dismissive manner is considered immature or rude. Consider how it would've looked if it was a face-to-face conversation.

Yeah, it would've been a normal response in an everyday conversation. Unless you are an ape of course. No one here(not the forums, but my country) is obliged to continue conversation they don't want to continue, and they can dismiss it whenever they want. There are topics you can't get out of unscathed, and if you start talking about them, it can end badly if you try to de-escalate with memes. But, it depends on who are you talking to, more than that, I can't see how talking about "is it possible to be an author?" is one of such topics.

 

[Sagacious_Punk]

I am not.

I would agree that it sounds sarcastic or scathing. I was genuinely curious, but wasn't able to keep the neutral tone. Happens to me all the time whenever I write in English.

More than appropriate.

Yeah, it would've been a normal response in an everyday conversation. Unless you are an ape of course. No one here(not the forums, but my country) is obliged to continue conversation they don't want to continue, and they can dismiss it whenever they want. There are topics you can't get out of unscathed, and if you start talking about them, it can end badly if you try to de-escalate with memes. But, it depends on who are you talking to, more than that, I can't see how talking about "is it possible to be an author?" is one of such topics.

I see. Tonal bypassing. The scourge of written communication.

I ask for apology for my stiff-necked behavior in that case.

As for the rest:

If you consider the meme an appropriate response, then you and I have very different understandings how conversations work or what is considered proper replies.

As for dismissal of conversations on this forum, yes, nobody is obliged to participate if they don't want to. But they could simply "walk away", i.e. not respond at all. If they decide to dismiss the conversation by having the last word in a rude manner, they deserve to be called out. That's my stance, anyway.

As for whether this topic is a serious or a non-serious one, that depends on one's viewpoint. Some have answered the OP in a non-serious manner. Others have chosen serious answers.

I chose the latter. Then you replied to my post with a meme; I dismissed that by not replying at all, since I considered your reply to be content-free and hence not worth attention. Then J_Chemist replied to your post with a meme and with some rather inaccurate statement. I decided to correct the inaccuracy. J_Chemist replied with a meme, which was an indirect ad hominem. Hence, I decided to inform them they lack debating skill/etiquette in my view.

I hope this satisfies your curiosity.

 

[2wordsperminute]

J_Chemist replied with a meme, which was an indirect ad hominem.

It really isn't that serious. People joke around on the internet all the time.

 

[Sagacious_Punk]

It really isn't that serious. People joke around on the internet all the time.

And my reply wasn't that scathing.

And a good joke has taste. And tact. Poor ones don't.

 

[2wordsperminute]

And a good joke has taste. And tact. Poor ones don't.

Then the internet is full of poor jokes. But personally, I think timing is a more important factor.

 

[Sagacious_Punk]

Then the internet is full of poor jokes. But personally, I think timing is a more important factor.

Tact = timing + social awareness + "reading the room" + cultural context. And other factors to the equation.

And yes, the internet is full of poor jokes. That much is obvious.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

I hope this satisfies your curiosity.

It does. But I have another question.

Hence, I decided to inform them they lack debating skill/etiquette in my view.

This will probably sound agressive, but honestly, I can't be bothered to write it differently. So excuse me for this, it is not my goal, and I hope this small part will help clear potential miscommunications.

Did you not think that the reason why he answered like that is not a lack of skill, but a lack of desire? More than that, I don't consider the meme rude. This one is very subjective, I can see from your replies that you have a different sense of humor, so let's leave it at that. I'm more interested in my question.