Defining the Pro

"Eighty percent of success is showing up." (Woody Allen)

What makes a writer "professional"? At first glance, that seems an easy question to answer. A pro is someone who earns enough from writing to support him- or herself, through book sales, royalties, speaking engagements, grants, or any other source.

This definition, however, is in my view both too narrow and too broad at once. It ignores all but the most successful poets, for instance, and includes advertising copywriters and government speechwriters, who although they do definitely write for a living aren't the sort of scribes covered by the SAWC. Not everyone wants to be "professional" in the monetary sense of the word, and this is reflected in the membership of the SAWC, which embraces writers of all kinds and aspirations. So perhaps a better definition is needed.

In 2003, the SFWA, an international organization of professional science fiction and fantasy writers, attempted to define what exactly they meant by the P-word. Competence wasn't enough, they quickly decided. True pros also exhibited a standard of behaviour that reflected well upon all levels of the field. The SFWA's Board of Directors ultimately proposed a "Code of Professional Ethics" to make such standards explicit.

The Code was not enforceable; it could not, for instance, be applied to determine an aspirant or existing member's qualification. But it does provide interesting guidelines for writers in their everyday dealings "with each other, their editors and publishers, and the public". The essential elements of the Code--as I see them and in my words--are as follow.

A professional writer in any genre should:

· Respect intellectual property. That is, writers should not plagiarize, pirate, or pilfer the work of others, or encourage anyone else to do so.

· Honour commitments, both explicit and implicit. That is, writers should enter into contracts in good faith and do their best to fulfil them. These contracts include more than just delivering novels on time. They cover rewrites, appearances and other forms of publicity.

· Deal honestly and courteously with members of the public.

· Refrain from spreading falsehoods, rumours or innuendo with the intention of damaging the careers of other writers.

· Neither seek nor grant unfair advantage. That is, writers should not try to influence editors or reviewers except by the quality of their work.

· Present one's self and one's field in the best possible light.

This list is a condensation of ten original points. Others included respecting other writers' time, privacy and the right to ignore the Code completely, if they chose to. It could be whittled down even further, I'm sure. Ultimately, all social guidelines come back to consideration for those around you, and these are no different. With a healthy dose of respect for colleagues, readers, bookstore staff, and reviewers--for community--I'm certain that all these principles are self-evident.

Where does this leave us on our search for the ultimate definition of a professional writer? Someone who is earning money from writing (not necessarily enough to support oneself, but at least something) and who respects and is respected in turn by those in their field would have a chance of qualifying, in my opinion. But even these two points are insufficient on their own. There is one important consideration that's buried in the assumptions of what we believe a writer to be, one that needs to be teased out and considered before anyone comes close to being a true pro.

A professional writer writes.

Perhaps that sounds like a stupid thing to emphasise at this point. Perhaps it's hard to imagine someone earning money as a writer without actually writing. In fact, it's quite possible. One could be subsisting off foreign or reprint sales of existing works without ever once putting pen to paper. One could have drifted from writing into related industries like teaching, editing or publishing. One could be blocked. These developments are temporary in many cases, but are sometimes permanent. And when they are, the status of "writer" must eventually lapse.

So a professional writer is someone who is actively writing, and being paid to do so. A professional writer is a functional member of the community around them, in whatever fashion suits them. I like to think that a professional writer also makes a point of giving back or paying forward to that community when they can, but I'll admit to some bias there. This composite definition may not help you obtain membership in organisations like SFWA or the ASA, but it will serve you in good stead throughout your writing career.

And ultimately, in the words of Dr Seuss, "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

(For the full SFWA Code of Conduct, see

http://sfwa.org/contracts/code-conduct.htm.)