I feel safe and comfortable to do that once I know that the song structure around the bass part is very interesting and it satisfies me in a compositional sense.
Publishing your work is important. Even if you are giving a piece to some smaller publication for free, you will learn something about your writing. The editor will say something, friends will mention it. You will learn.
I get a lot from all young people. I make movies for young people. If I made pictures for people my age, no one would see them. I hang with young people all the time.