Why Does Being a Writer Impress People?

“The best fame is a writer’s fame. It’s enough to get a table at a good restaurant, but not enough to get you interrupted when you eat.”

― Frances Ann Lebowitz

Earlier this month, I attended a Chamber of Commerce meeting to promote my freelance writing business. There, I met a professional, who turned out to be the local postmaster general. After some formal introduction, I told him I’m a professional writer who owns a freelance writing service.

Immediately, I impressed him. “I never met a writer before,” he guffawed.

He then admitted his love of ebooks; his collection boasts over 300 of them. I told him I published a short story ebook on Amazon Kindle. I gave him the info, and he told me he’d check it out.

I get this a lot from people I meet — the impression of awe as if I’m a world-famous celebrity. Why does being a writer impress people? It’s not to say I’m not flattered whenever this occurs (because I am every single time!), but I’m curious. Why would it boggle anyone’s mind? Last time I checked, my name is Teresa Edmond-Sargeant, not J.K. Rowling. Hmmm, maybe I could leverage that into a reservation at some upscale restaurant … 😉
So my question is: have you ever blown anyone away by the fact that you’re a writer? Why do people react this way and how does that make you feel?Leave a comment below!

Teresa Edmond-Sargeant is an Orlando, FL-based writer, journalist, author and poet. She is the founder/owner of Heathermoors Books & Words, a boutique freelance writing service that customizes content for local publications and small businesses in Central Florida. A former staff writer in North Jersey, Edmond-Sargeant won two NJ Press Association Awards. She is the author of a poetry book “How Fate’s Confusion Connects” and an Amazon Kindle short story ebook “Eve the First,: A Fairy Tale Revision”.

Leave a Reply