Do Authors Need A Degree In Writing?

 

What do Mark Zuckerberg, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Walt Disney have in common, besides being generation-defining success stories that have shaped industries and lives?

 

They each dropped out of school at some level. That is right, our billionaires or most famous celebrities did not necessarily achieve when it comes to graduating school.

 

This may be true for great writers, too. Not all award-winning, best-selling, critically-acclaimed authors have PHDs, MFAs, college degrees or even a high school diploma. One does not write great books simply because they are educated and were taught to write genius works.

 

So, why do writers tend to rack up degrees? Do they believe they are supposed to do this out of some societal obligation? Perhaps. Or are they merely pursuing their curiosities? Maybe.

 

Just because one has a degree in something does not mean they are qualified to write a great book. So, what elements make for a writer to be amazing?

 

Lots of books come from one’s personal experiences or professional moments. It could be that a writer was born and shaped the minute something happened to them at a young age, such as the loss of a parent, the victim of a crime, or the development of a serious disease.

 

Most books come from somewhere – an event, a person, an accomplishment – that inspires or commands one to write them. Authors don’t always choose writing; it chooses them.

 

Why do you write books?

 

How come you wrote what you did?

 

When did you become a writer?

 

Think about your writer DNA or lineage. What defines what you write and how you write about it?

 

Were you born a writer – or did life’s circumstances dictate your writing path?

 

Don’t mind me asking these questions. I suspect you already know why you write, but do you know what allowed you to take your license to write and turn into a passion, an art? When did you stop reacting to your life’s turn of events, needs, fears, anger, or love – and start to let your imagination, and desire take over? When did you not just start writing, by act, but become a writer, by heart?

 

You are a writer, regardless or degrees or anything else.

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,250,000 page views. With 5,400+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum