This is something that crops up for so many writers, at all stages of their writing career.
I'd love to be able to reassure you that of course you're good enough, but the
difficulty with this fear is that sometimes it's true. For instance, a would-be freelancer who can't write in fluent, grammatical English probably isn't good enough – yet – to make money freelancing.
Similarly, a writer who can string together perfectly coherent sentences might have only a rudimentary grasp of things like characterisation and plotting – and so their novel wouldn't be "good
enough" to find an agent or publisher or to self-publish successfully.
So how do you know if your work is good enough?
Let me clear up one worry first: being rejected is not a sign that you're "not good enough". I've had loads of short stories rejected – while others were getting shortlisted or winning
prizes in competitions. A rejection just means your work wasn't right for a particular publication at a particular time. It's one editor's opinion, on one particular day.
Three Signs That Your Work IS "Good Enough"
Some key signs that strongly suggest your work is good enough
include:
#1: Positive Feedback from Readers
If your blog posts tend to get nice comments (or even emails), or if you've had some good reviews of your fanfiction, or if anything else you've written has met with a warm reception ... then you're probably good enough! Impartial readers (i.e.
those who aren't your mum / dad / spouse / etc) aren't going to bother to praise your work without good reason.
#2: Positive Feedback from Professionals (e.g. Editors)
If you've submitted work to an editor, either for publication or for editorial services, and they've told you that it's
good ... then believe them! They know what they're talking about. If your work is rejected by an agent/editor and you receive a personal rejection note (e.g. they mention something specific you could work on, or encourage you to submit something else) then that's a great sign: they wouldn't bother writing you a personal note unless they really thought your work was good. (Note: this doesn't mean that a form rejection letter means you work is bad ... just that the editor is very
busy!)
#3: Publication – Whether Paid or Not
If someone has published your work, that's a huge validation. Your work is good enough for someone to print, or to put on their website / in their email newsletter. That really matters! You might not have been paid – but they still wouldn't
publish you if you were no good. If you've got a few unpaid publications to your name, that also means you're ready to move on to look for paying markets – e.g. blogs, magazines, or clients who need writing done.
What if you're going from one type of writing to another – e.g. you're an experienced freelancer but now you're working on a novel. How will you know if your new work is any
good?
The best way I know of is to get feedback. With a novel, that might mean looking for beta readers, or joining (or starting!) a local writers' workshop group. It could also mean hiring an editor, or attending conferences (like the Winchester Writers' Festival in the UK) where you can get one-to-one feedback from an agent.
All writers worry, to some degree, that they're not "good enough". Try to be realistic with yourself when doubts crop up (e.g. "I've been paid for twenty blog posts now, so I am good enough to be doing this).
Try, too, to make peace with the idea that there is no one gold standard of "good" writing. (Was Fifty Shades of
Grey any good? Lots of writers – and literary critics – will tell you how badly written it was, but it certainly found a lot of readers, and made a lot of money for E.L. James.)
Finally – however "good" or "bad" your writing is at the moment, there's one key way to get better: keep on writing!
