A writer is a person that writes, regardless of the format they use. It can be a book, short story, novella, blog post, web content, etc. Thus, any blogger, journalist, ghostwriter, screenwriter, etc. using the writing process, is a writer, regardless of whether their work is published or not.

But what makes a writer an author? In simple terms, a writer becomes an author once their writing is published. But bear in mind that published in this case refers to either a traditional publisher publishing your book or when you self-publish your book.  

Here is the most significant distinction between a writer and an author - a writer can write about his own and other people’s thoughts and ideas. But an author has to create his own original ideas. 

Writer vs. Author: Why does it matter?

Both writers and authors can make a valuable contribution with their work. But their roles are slightly different.

Writers

A writer can work as a freelancer, getting paid to write content for others, such as on a blog or website or ghostwriting a book for a well-known person. Alternatively, they can write content on their own blog, earning an income by monetizing it through affiliate marketing, selling a content product, or offering courses on writing.

Marketing is essential to drive visitors to your website or blog. You will focus on your offering and use your content to gain credibility with your online visitors. Please note that writers mainly market their content after it is available online. 

Although writers should have an online presence, they often work more behind the scenes. 

Authors

Where a writer will focus on constantly producing many different pieces of content, an aspiring author focus on a specific project - the book they aim to publish. The process includes research for the book, whether fiction or non-fiction, writing a first draft, revising, editing and proofreading. 

Aspiring authors also need to send out query letters to publishers about their books. If they decide to self-publish, they need to learn the skills involved and get familiar with their chosen platform.

As far as marketing is concerned, authors need to start marketing their book before publishing it but can never stop their marketing efforts to ensure ongoing sales. 

An author needs an online, authentic presence since readers like to connect to authors. If a traditional publisher accepts your book, you often have to attend marketing events or make appearances at book stores, book clubs, book readings, or book signings.

Traditionally people only knew about authors since writers couldn’t easily make their work available. Fortunately, you don’t need to publish a book to live the writing life in today’s digital age. Today more writers have a chance to share their voices with the world. So, whether you want to be a freelance writer, share your writing online, or become a published author - the choice is yours. But remember, we all have our purpose, and although an author can become well-known, they are not more worthy since they also started as a writer. 

Sources

Writer vs. Author: What’s the Difference?

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writer-vs-author-whats-the-difference#what-is-a-writer

Difference Between Author and Writer

http://www.differencebetween.net/business/difference-between-author-and-writer/