The validation we want and need is from readers; the validation we crave is from readers and editors we respect, whose opinions we know carry weight and bring us more readers. We don't need our egos stroked, really - that is the mark of novices who would throw in the towel if they aren't the center of adoring attention. We're confident, but we understand that communication is a two-way street, and words are meant to be read. That's what fuels us: knowing that they're read.