Do you have a link to your ESC and motor?
Some ESCs require to be armed before the motor will turn. The arming sequence should be covered in the documentation. It is often something like 1. zero throttle and wait for a beep. 2. full throttle and wait for a beep 3. zero throttle.
Not all ESCs support forward and backward. Aircraft ESCs especially favor forward only.
How do you have things wired up? A wiring diagram helps. Pictures help.
What are you powering the ESC with?