[kingu]

What subject?

Fiction or fantasy - if it is either, you'll want to secure a known editor who has edited previously published novels for the industry. They'll usually list which books - if the book is published by a company you want to print your book, they're the ones to hire.

Odds are that you'll never get a publishing company to look at your manuscript. Cover letters to get them to look at a synopsis, and then if you win the publishing lottery, they'll ask for a manuscript and then, if you're really lucky, they'll read it.

Nonfiction is a much different matter. There it matters who has read your manuscript. History topic? Make sure you get someone noted in the field to review it. Science? Backup in a peer review journal.

[Vor Lady]

I'm not sure how to classify it. It is sort of a combination biography, autobiography, thriller type, but the protagonist is a woman so I could exploit that if I could bring myself to pandering to Oprah. Except for the true parts it's all fiction!