There really are some things at stake. For example, you cannot join certain professional associations unless you meet certain criteria. Yes, you, SFWA. The bar there is measured by paying publications, which only recently were expanded to include sales of e-books.
The fact that this argument keeps coming up is an indicator something is changing. We are trying to hash out what that means. For individuals, I agree with the tenor of the last few posts--just write and don't worry about labels. That's a rather different question than the question of exactly what "published" or "publication" means in this brave new world. The jury is, imo, still out on that one. And as long as that question isn't settled, the question of what "author" or "writer" means will likewise be muddy.
One of the many problems with the original article was that the author (that word again) talked as if the discussion were all done and dusted, and he knew the answers.
The fact that this argument keeps coming up is an indicator something is changing. We are trying to hash out what that means. For individuals, I agree with the tenor of the last few posts--just write and don't worry about labels. That's a rather different question than the question of exactly what "published" or "publication" means in this brave new world. The jury is, imo, still out on that one. And as long as that question isn't settled, the question of what "author" or "writer" means will likewise be muddy.
One of the many problems with the original article was that the author (that word again) talked as if the discussion were all done and dusted, and he knew the answers.