Mary asked Melanie Dickerson:

When you were starting out, when did you know you were ready to start publishing? Did you finish a few practice books first? Do writers ever feel ready? I want to publish, but I'm starting to always finish and say, "This is just a practice book. I'll never publish it," because I'm scared it's not good enough. I'm scared I'm not good enough. How did you know you were ready to try?

Melanie Dickerson Mary, this is a very good question! I think the best way to know is to have other people reading your work. That is usually in the form of other writers who are in critique groups with you, and contest judges. For me personally, I joined ACFW, American Christian Fiction Writers (acfw.com) which was a huge step in figuring out if I was ready, and joined a couple of critique groups. I also took courses through that organization and started reading blogs like Seekerville which also taught me a lot about writing and revising and publishing. After I finished my first novel, I "pitched it" to agents and publishers at their annual conference, then decided to set it aside for various reasons. My second book was The Healer's Apprentice. I applied what I was learning from the resources of ACFW and from other sources, and especially from entering contests. For three years I tried to get it published, and just when I had decided to set it aside, it found a publisher. But bottom line, you just have to believe in yourself and in your book. You have to gain that confidence in your work through prayer and through letting critique partners and contest judges give you feedback. It's not easy, but it's worth it! I wish you all the best with it.

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