Are you good enough?



PLEASE, before you decide to write and publish a book, find out if you're good enough.



Many writers self-publish after accumulating rejection letters from agents and publishers.

Ego, over-confidence, or ignorance can cause writers to think that those who rejected them are idiots who don't recognize the work of a genius. Hundreds of thousands of new book titles are published each year. A few are great. Many are OK. Lots of them stink.



Unfortunately, because it has become so easy to write a book and have it published without the approval process that's part of traditional publishing, the percentage and quantity of bad books seems to be increasing.



Before you expend any money, time, or effort in becoming a self-publisher, and if you want to earn some money and not publish merely for ego gratification or perceived status, I strongly urge you to take the crap test.



There are three versions of the test. Choose one or more.



(1) Submit an article of at least 1,000 words to a newspaper or magazine. Convince an editor that it is not crap, get paid at least $200 for it, and actually see it in print, or...



(2) Join a writers' group, actively participate, do the assigned writing exercises, and get the honest opinion of the group leader and most of the participants that what you write is not crap, or...



(3) Take a college course in journalism or creative writing, do the assigned writing exercises, and get the honest opinion of the instructor or professor that your work is of professional caliber and is not crap.



If you fail the crap test, you can still go ahead and self-publish.



It's extremely unlikely that you'll make any money from it. Your ego may be bruised by the criticism you'll receive, and the money you'll spend on publishing and promotion may as well go down the crapper.



To test your publishing potential with minimal investment, first try blogging or an e-book.

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Good luck.