How I (Finally) Got Published

Chapter 17: How Do You Know If You're Any Good?

The biggest question in every aspiring writer's mind isn't really a question – it's more of a doubt. It's the root of all other questions like "How long does it take to write a novel?" "Why don't people read my stories?" and "Is indie publishing or posting on Wattpad worth it?" This question of question goes:

How do I know I'm any good?

As wimpy as it sounds, this is a perfectly normal and valid question. In fact, I fancy the same question, or something very similar to it, has crossed the minds of many an entrepreneur or a start-up company founder. How do we know all our investments in terms of time, effort, money and emotion aren't gonna go down the drain?

On the flip side, it's not so much passion that we fear but the excess of it. How do we know when to stop, when to give up? And especially if it's a dream, well, wouldn't it just be heart-breaking to turn your back on a dream?

How do you know you're any good?

The short answer to this question is: You don't. No one does.

What one reader hates about your writing, someone else might love – provided they can discover your work.

Here, I'm not talking about basic traits like good grammar, spelling, punctuation etc, but the real deal "It" factor that would make a writer stand above the rest.

Let's take Stephen King for example. Most people only know him as the writer of Carrie, It, Pet Sematary etc, but few realize he was a high school teacher first before he became a writer. You know why he's so good at writing realistic dialogues? It's because he has a very solid foundation of grammar. He can choose to break the rules because he knows them by heart in the first place.

If you read Stephen King's book On Writing (I highly recommend that you do), you'll find that he has a very firm grasp of language. He's also very witty, funny and quite loquacious. (One other author who I strongly feel share the last quality is Neil Gaiman.)

I think one potential handicap of young writers of the succeeding generations is the weakening focus on language. A necessary corollary of the rise and spread of the Internet is the emergence of pidgin-like Netspeak. Language is changing at such a rapid pace that it seems tough for huge swaths of readers to keep up. Still, I believe Gen Z writers could turn this to their advantage because the language of literature normally reflects what's real and not really what's "proper".

In any case, a writer must learn to edit their language or clean up after themselves. If you're still in school and have the opportunity to learn the technicalities of grammar, Business English, or composition with emphasis on correctness, spelling, punctuation and so on, do take advantage of it and pay close attention to what your teacher is teaching you. Although it may seem troublesome or tough, it'll all pay off on your journey to becoming a writer.

Now that we've talked about this pre-requisite, we can entertain bigger questions of what truly makes a good writer.

I think it's hard to tell whether a writer is good or bad. It's easier and more practical to try and tell if a particular work of the writer is good or bad.

How? Why, through reviews and reader response.

Through my book reviewers was how I first got a glimpse of The Boyfriend App's potential. Mind you, outside of Wattpad, readers are much more critical of any work. On Goodreads, for example, The Boyfriend App got an average of 3.45 out of 5 stars. But that's quite ok in Goodreads standards. A reviewer, for instance, would give me 5 stars on Amazon but give me 4 stars on Goodreads.

It was when I got certain snippets of reviews that I realized I had hit on something big with The Boyfriend App:

"If you are looking for a light, cute read, I'd recommend this! It was an easy read and didn't lull, making it ideal for a cozy, rainy day read."

- Rebecca

"This was such an interesting idea to write a novel on. At first, I was hesitant to read it because I wasn't sure I was going to like it. A girl falling in love with a cell phone app? Sounds ridiculous. But it was really well done and I actually very much enjoyed this book. I finished it quickly because I found myself wanting to see what was going to happen with Kate and Ecto next. Well written, cute concept, 4 out of 5 stars."

- Jayme Caruthers

"This was a cute, short little story with a premise I've never seen before. The writing was a little too simplistic for my liking, and it took a while for the story to get going. The characters needed a lot more development as only Kate and Ecto were really fleshed out. The author managed to fit an impressive amount of plot into a short book, but the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying to me. Ecto was definitely my favourite character, and some of the things he did for Kate were absolutely adorable!"

- Elsbeth

"It got off to a slow start and my interest waned. But by the time I got to the start of the boyfriend app part, I began to get hooked and soon became compelled to keep reading. The plot was clever and original. In short, I found this book fascinating. I have never read anything else like it. I would recommend it to those who are looking for something different."

- Catherine

"... honestly I'm torn. I desperately enjoyed the romanticism of this novel and the ache and joy the passion of true love brought to me; however, I can't quite explain what I felt was missing. I did enjoy the concept and Mon writes love like nobody I've ever read before.

In summary, it's a passionate and romantic book and that's all there is too it!

P.s. where can I get an ecto 😍"

- Rhiannon

"I really enjoyed this book. It was totally different from most things I read and kept me interested in the story from the very start. I want my own boyfriend app. :)"

- Laura

"Sweet! To me without question this book would be appropriate audience. I thought it cute and quick. I enjoyed it very much!"

- Amanda Cole

This is exactly why I appreciate honest reviews. Negative reviews can crush an author's ego (if the author still gives full rein to their feelings about such matters), but within them, you can see glimpses of honesty, of real people talking about how your work affected them – for better or worse. This connection with the readers, for me, is priceless.

Of course, I received a ton of positive reviews also and especially from Wattpad readers, but here I want to focus on the feedback that I got at the early stages of The Boyfriend App's release. I also want to point out to you the recurrence of certain comments from various readers, on different platforms and in different age groups. This was how I first realized I may have hit on something big with The Boyfriend App.

Up Next: A little bit of luck

Stay Phenomenal!

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