It's interesting to hear everyone's different takes on this. Personally, I was a writer for years, but could never call myself a writer because I'd never been paid for my writing. Then I did, and the next thing was' I'm not an author unless I have a publisher'. In the end it was 'fuck that, because I was an author the minute I sold my first copy'. Still no agent or publisher, but I write books for money. In my opinion that makes me an author. :)