I’ll give you some practical advice on publishing good writings, but first let’s establish something important: There is no objectively good work and there are no objectively good writers. I can name plenty of books that I think are genius but are detested by great writers whose opinions I respect and, 31 , there are books I despise which are revered by writers I love. A piece of writing has no 32 value in a vacuum. How “good” it is is decided by people at a point in time and space. I don’t think my advice is uselessly abstract and I think this has a real 33 on how you choose to think about your own writing and where you look for 34 . Sitting around wondering if you’re “good” and expecting the world to answer is like asking how you know when your book is done — it’s not something the book or the world can tell you. It’s a decision you need to make. When I write, the standards I try to meet are my own: Do I want to read what I’m writing? It’s that simple. If I write a poem or an essay that I want to read and re-read after I’ve finished writing and editing it, then it’s good in my own light. If you don’t feel that way about your own writing, the challenge becomes: Write something that you would want to read. It may sound 35 , but I don’t think most writers hold themselves to these standards. Did you know that people are faster to recognize photos of themselves that have been photoshopped to make them look slightly more attractive? Self-assessments are often self-flattering and help in evaluating your own writing.