noun
novelist; fiction writer
Refers to a person who writes novels or works of fiction professionally.
彼女は有名な小説家です。
She is a famous novelist.
小説家になるのが夢です。
My dream is to become a novelist.
著者 refers to the author of a specific written work, often used in bibliographic contexts, whereas 小説家 denotes the profession of writing novels.
Compound of 小説 (novel, fiction) and 家 (suffix for a specialist or professional).