The scenario is that I’ve finished the first draft of a piece for a print publication. I read it to a family member. Reading a piece aloud to someone may get a positive reception if the person thinks it’s good. To the listener, it sounds polished enough. It sounds thoroughly done, but a listener is not a reader and the piece I have written is for readers and not audio listeners.

I don’t trust the listener of my work as the final word on a piece intended for online or print. A listener engages differently to a reader. So, I may have to get a reader or trust my own judgment without input from a reader. How to look? I think to remember to check my work thoroughly, especially for people reading it, and edit where appropriate.