1. You have a finished, polished piece of writing that’s ready for eyes that are not your own.

2. You’re not afraid of criticism, but you’re not desperate for it, either. Sharing your work doesn’t automatically generate feedback, which shouldn’t be the only reason you’re making your work public.

3. You’re doing it because you want to, not because someone else says you should.

4. You’re so proud of what you’ve written that you don’t even care about its flaws. You just want other people to know it exists!

5. You’ve (mostly) learned to separate your work from your worth. Even if your work isn’t great, you’re doing just fine, and strangers’ opinions and criticisms aren’t going to tear you down.

6. You need something to motivate you to keep writing, and the anticipation of sending your finished work out into the world is a likely candidate.

7. You’ve worked hard. You’ve committed to improving and trying and failing and trying again. You’ve waited long enough. You’ve set your foundation. At this point, there’s really no good reason not to.

8. You’re ready to become the writer you’ve always wanted to be, and putting yourself out there is the next logical step. You’re nervous, but excited. That’s good. It means you’re ready to act.

9. You also know this is a very small step that’s part of a much larger journey. You’re willing to put one foot in front of the other and keep trying, even when it seems like you’re not going very far very fast.

10. You love writing. You love telling stories, and you want nothing more than to share that joy and enthusiasm with others — even if there are only 2.5 people following you along the way.

Meg is the creator of Novelty Revisions, dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. She is an editor and writer, and a 12-time NaNoWriMo winner. Follow Meg on Twitter for tweets about writing, food, and Star Wars.

Help Novelty Revisions become a more valuable resource for aspiring writers.  Join us on Patreon.