A few weeks ago I got an email asking me to identify my job industry from a list. Journalist made the list, but writer did not. I hate to be stickler, but I figured that hard-core journalists would not want to be lumped with other types of writers.

Anyone who works closely with words understands that choosing the exact right word can mean the difference between mediocrity and clarity. But some outside our circle use words interchangeably. To them, the words “writer” and “journalist” are synonymous. Both use words to tell a story. Journalists often employ narrative devices and writers sometimes incorporate journalistic details into their work.

But are they the same thing?

Most writers (and journalists for that matter) would say no. Sure, some journalists write novels and some novelists pen articles (not to say that all writers are novelists), but when it comes down to it, I think they are fundamentally different approaches to writing. There is some crossover between “writing” and “journalism,” of course, but they are different disciplines.

I have the utmost respect for journalists. But I don’t consider myself to be one. To me, journalism conjures images of people reporting from the trenches in Iraq, shadowing a police officer for the day, or interviewing citizens outside of a town meeting. And I don’t do any of those things.

Sure, some people think writers suffer for their craft by spending long, lonely days in a freezing garret penning the Great American Novel. But most of us do not. I write web copy, which means talking to a client but rarely interviewing the competitor to get a “balanced” story (though I’d probably check out their site to see how they position themselves). I write essays, which usually requires introspection rather than external sources. I write lifestyle articles, but I have no illusions that covering cocktails or career topics will earn me a Pulitzer. And I’m OK with that. I’m happy to call myself a writer.

How about you? Are you a writer, a journalist, or something else entirely?