Nothing is so beneficial to a young author as the advice of a man whose judgment stands constitutionally at the freezing-point.

Early work needs a cold reader more than a warm one. Encouragement keeps you going but says nothing about whether the thing is any good, and the person who is unimpressed by everything is the only one whose approval carries information. Their coldness is not cruelty; it is a fixed standard that will not move for your feelings or your effort. That fixity is exactly what makes them useful.

Find the hardest-to-please person in your field and ask them to look before you show it to anyone friendly. Ask what is wrong rather than what they liked. Then thank them, whatever it costs you.