How Do I Know When My Story Is Ready?

How do I know when my writing is publishable, and how do I network?

1. Have you outgrown an amateur writer's group (meaning, are you the best writer there or can the group no longer give you feedback)
2.  Have you read at least 5 books on improving your craft?
3. Have you presented your work to those who "*know what they're talking about" and received positive feedback (some examples of these might be editors/agent meetings at writer's conferences, published authors, personalized rejection letters, etc.)?
4. Do you know as much or more about a topic presented at a **conference as the speaker?

*You meet "people who know what they're talking about" at conferences and local writer's groups (you can also become a regular on their blog to meet online). Conferences will be a hit on your budget and require a lot of dedication. There are huge writer's conferences like World Con, where thousands of editors and agents are available, but the cost is significant. I'd recommend starting at local writer's conferences. They might not be as rich in resources, but they are a great/cheaper way to start.

**Eventually, you'll start to outgrow conferences as well, as a lot of the classes begin to repeat themselves (ie-they always seem to have a class on how to write fabulous queries.) This is another sign that your writing is becoming publishable.
Start using the connections you've made at these conferences/online/writer's groups to improve your writing and network.