At a writing workshop I taught, a participant asked, "How will I know when my writing is good enough?"
The answer is simple: You'll know your writing is good enough when you pass the test.
But that begs the question: What's the test?
The test is whether people who know good writing when they see it and understand the market (what readers want) select your work.
This is so easy, yet few writers will actually do it. They spend hundreds of hours bleeding over a book-length manuscript without ever testing their storytelling or persuasion chops.
Sure, some books don't become popular until after their author's death, so it's not quite fair to say that if a writer can't sell their writing that means their writing isn't good enough. But it's the best test there is, and if you test yourself early and often, you'll be a much happier and more confident writer.
If you don't test yourself and your work, you automatically fail.*
If you've passed the test above, you're far more likely to pass The Big Test--submitting to literary agents and publishers or positioning your self-published book in front of book buyers.
You'll have developed the thick skin needed to succeed in business and the self-awareness to mature in your craft.
Submitting to publications that exercise editorial discretion is the single best thing you can do to build your writing resume, expand your platform, and reach your goals.
Who Is Your Ideal Reader, and Why Does Your Book Matter to Them?
Why You're Probably Writing Your Nonfiction Book Too Soon
Genre First, not as an Afterthought
To Write a Better Memoir or Novel, Think Like a Screenwriter, Movie Director, and Cinematographer
Cristen Iris
CI Communication Strategies
2019
