I& #39;ve been performing more manuscript assessments and sensitivity reads this year, and I keep coming back to two questions: What is this story about? Why are you the person to tell it?

When a writer can& #39;t answer the first question, they don& #39;t understand what they& #39;ve written.

And it& #39;s often people who can& #39;t answer the first question whose response to the second is "Why can& #39;t I tell it?"

Business-wise, publicity relies on authors& #39; ability to discuss their work. A novel isn& #39;t ready if you don& #39;t know it well enough to discuss it. If you don& #39;t know what you& #39;ve done, do you expect publishers, booksellers and readers to?

Quality of your work-wise, if you can& #39;t be insightful about your own work, I don& #39;t trust the insights of the world that inform your work.

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