Sonia M. Rompoti, MSc, bsc

There’s a pause that happens.

Someone asks, “What do you do?”
And if you’re like a lot of us, you hesitate. You might say, “Well, I write…” or “I’m working on a book” or “It’s just a side project.”
You downplay it. You soften it.
You let the moment pass.

But here’s the truth:
You’re a writer.
Even if no one has read your work. Even if you’re indie. Even if you’re unpublished. Even if your “book” is still a mess of notes in your phone.

If you write… you’re a writer.

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Why Is It So Hard to Say It?

Because being a writer isn’t a protected title.
You don’t need a degree, a license, a company badge. It’s invisible—until you speak it out loud.

And that makes it feel… risky.

What if they laugh?
What if they ask for proof?
What if they say, “Oh, like a real book?”

So we shrink.

But every time we hide our writing, we reinforce the idea that it’s not real, not valid, not worth owning.

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Indie Authors, This One’s Especially for Us

When you’re self-publishing, hustling in the margins, and building your own audience from scratch—it’s easy to feel like you haven’t earned the label yet.

But here’s what I want you to know:

Publishing through KDP doesn’t make you less of an author.
Writing in the cracks of your day doesn’t make you less committed.
Drafting, editing, dreaming—those things count too.

The world won’t give you permission.
So you have to claim it yourself.

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What Happens When You Finally Own It

Everything changes.

Not overnight. Not all at once. But slowly:

• You take yourself more seriously.
• You show up for your stories with more confidence.
• You give yourself permission to take up space.
• And other people start to believe it too.

The title “writer” isn’t something you have to wait for.
You don’t earn it. You embody it.

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Try Saying It Out Loud

Try this: next time someone asks what you do, say:
“I’m a writer.”

Don’t flinch. Don’t qualify. Don’t giggle.

Just say it.
Own it.
Let it land.

Because the more you say it, the truer it becomes.