: Re: At What Point Does a Writer Need Validation to Confirm They've Done Something Right? I have been thoroughly editing four unpublished novels during the fourth quarter of 2019 and in January 2020.

@Kristi637

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You should seek feedback at whatever point that feedback is not going to interfere with your writing process. It's quite possible to get feedback too early, and have it choke off your creativity. It's also possible to seek feedback too frequently, and to burn out your beta readers. But if your first experience of feedback is when you submit to a publisher, you're likely to get a rude awakening.

I've also wrestled frequently with this question, and I can report from experience, if you aren't getting feedback and responding to it, you're really only writing for yourself. I've had too many books that my first meaningful feedback on was the realization that no one wanted to publish them.

It's a bit of a red flag to me that you're phrasing this in terms of seeking validation. I spent quite a lot of my writing career seeking validation through my writing, and it's a fool's errand. If your goal is to write something that people will want to publish and read and enjoy, and find valuable, get feedback on it. If you want validation, find a different career.

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