Using the optical disc in a write-lock mode is the best simulation of a CD-ROM that is available. However, note that some optical discs may have a slightly better performance than a CD-ROM.
Using the write-lock mode will help locate any possible write attempts prior to the pressing of the CD-ROM.
Most CD-ROM pressing facilities provide "one-off" CD-ROMs, which are actual CD-ROMs (but only one is created). This may be an additional expense, although the "one-off" provides an actual CD-ROM to see if all is correctly laid out. The "one-off" is created after using the data in the optical disc environment, prior to pressing the final CD-ROM.