Loaded question, loaded answers. First of all, Jewish writers, good ones, have been publishing “secular” for a very long time. They’ve been writing in many languages, including Hebrew, English, French, Italian, and Russian. Did you ever hear of Boris Pasternak? Michael Chabon? Primo Levi? CN Bialik? Jean Jacques Bernard?
As a writer, I know that one of the first elements of good writing – for anyone – is to be a voracious reader. There is something in our culture, clearly the imperative of learning, but something more, which breeds well read individuals. If they have talent, opportunity, and an experience worth writing about or injecting into their work, they will do so successfully.
Without exposure to good writing – and Akuperma, I completely disagree with your statement
“There is no “inherent” quality in literature other than what the readers will pay for. “
– a nascent writer will have no examples to emulate, no style or structure to model, and no foundation upon which to build their own unique literary vision.
(For example, the structure of the second half of the sentence I just wrote utilized the threefold example structure that I gleaned from novelist, poet and Professor of English & Anglo Saxon Literature JRR Tolkien)
If you mean “frum” writers when you describe “Jewish” writers, there are a few, like Joseph and Faye Kellerman, who have been able to make a successful go of it in the secular publishing world. Unfortunately, though, for those who restrict themselves from reading secular literature, especially the classics of earlier eras and some of the best writing of the 20th century, there is no substitute. Their writing will demonstrate the lack of influence they suffer from.
There is indeed a very well founded “quality” in literature that the late Professor of English Literature Northrop Frye wrote about in his seminal work “The Secular Scripture”, which demonstrates that tropes and themes that have influenced individuals throughout history are the foundations of any good novel.
I suppose that frum writers can be as “good” as anyone else in publishing pulpy, plot deprived, grammatically challenged, character thin novels, but I wouldn’t call it literature.