Okay, you are all wondering how to get published, so here it is in black & white.
Though I haven't had an amazing amount of experience in this field, I have done a bit. And read enough to know some helpful things for you all. 
Step 1: Edit your manuscript to perfection [more tips on editing here: http://storywrite.com/column/show/666 ]
Step 2: Decide what how you want to publish your book. Self-Publish [this can get pricey] or searching for an Agent. If you chose self-publish, skip to step 5. if you chose search for an agent, continue to the next step.
Step 3 (only for those seeking representation from an agency): Create an account at http://www.querytracker.net. [you can watch a video made by them about the site here: http://www.querytracker.net/videos/whatis/whatis.php]
Question: I made an account, now what?
Answer: First of all, head over to the my stuff tab at the top of the screen on the right hand side. Hover your mouse over it, and a drop down menu of options should appear. Here you can edit your account info, check your personal messages from others, edit your projects, edit folders, edit your profile, pen pals, and alerts. I would start with projects. Once at the screen, click on the 'add a project' button at the top. You will then get a pop up that asks you for the title, genre, and word count. Click save, and again hover your mouse over the my stuff. Go to 'my profile' and click on the edit button at the top of the screen. There you can add your real name, birthdate, location, an about me section, gender, favorite books, favorite authors, contact info, misc., and you can even create an avatar.
Finally, head over to the tab that says Agents which will also drop down with a list of options. Choose the first option 'search for literary agents'. You can search by genre, agency, agent or region.
I'll search by genre for now. Say you searched for Fiction - Fantasy. Once you've searched, there will be a list of agents that represent those genres.
The first name is Marcia Amsterdam. You can check the box to the left of her name to add her to your list of agents. Just to the left of her name, you can see that she only accepts queries via snail mail [regular mail]. Click on her name and it will bring up her profile. There you will see her name, the agency she works for, and the address [you'll need all three of these for the query letter]. If you click on the tab that says comments in the middle of the page, you can read comments on her by other authors like yourself. this is where http://www.agentquery.com comes in handy.
Head over to AQ, and type in Marcia Amsterdam in the search bar. That will bring up her profile [not all agents have profiles on AQ] and then you'll click on her name. There it has her phone number, and whether or not she accepts e-mail queries. Below, it has a list of the fiction and non-fiction genres she represents. It will also tell you that she does, in fact, accept queries at this point in time. Below that, it will have a list of her special interests.
It says she enjoys: humorous stories, she is intreseted in medical and legal thrillers in the suspense genre, and she likes character-driven Sci-Fi and horror. Below, it states that she does not represent poetry or children's books. The submission guidelines are below that: it says Snail Mail: query, synopsis, three sample chapters & SASE*.
You can just check out the site to learn more.
When an Agent offers Representation
Question: What is a Query Letter?
Answer: A query letter is a short, one page typed for asking the agent to represent your book. It should include the following: # Of Pages, Title of your book, Genres its written under, whether or not you plan to write a sequal trilogy etc, and a brief summary. A basic outline can be found below ↓ [I do not own this query letter, it is property of Charlotte Dillon.]
You can find it and more at: http://www.charlottedillon.com/query.html
Your Name
Address
Home Phone
Date
Editor or Agent's Name
Publisher or Agent's Address
Dear Ms. Name, [Never just use Dear Editor or Dear Agent]
[To start off, give the name and length and type of manuscript you are
sending.] One Wife Needed is a completed 57,000 word contemporary romance
set in Louisiana. This story is targeted for the Silhouette Desire line. [That completed part is important because editors and agents don't want to waste time on something you haven't finished. Too many people start novels and never finish them. The word count is important to, since that lets them know if your story is the right length for them. No used wasting their time if you novel is 55,000 words complete and they don't publish anything under 80,000. The same if it's 130,000. Few if any print pubs are going to touch something that long from a new romance writer, not with the cost of ink, paper and shipping being what it is.]
[Next add the meat of your query... Remember that teaser on the back of the book. Write your own one. You don't have much more room than that. A good query should almost always be no more than one page long.]
[This next part is where you brag. Add anything that shows you are a serious writer who has studied her craft. How long you've been writing, that you've finished a number of manuscripts, you are a member of RWA, you have taken workshops or classes, your story won a writing contest, you belong to a great critique group. You can add other things too, say your main character is a nurse, and so are you. If you don't have anything to brag about yet, then
that's fine too. Make sure your writing is strong enough to speak for you.]
[Don't forget the SASE, and don't forget the thank you! Something like...]
If you are interested, I will gladly send you either the first three chapters of this story, or the complete manuscript. I have enclosed a synopsis and a SASE for your reply. If you prefer, you can send an e-mail. Thanks very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Your name
Some people now days also add their e-mail address and even website address.
You can read sample query letters here: http://www.charlottedillon.com/QuerySamples.html
Step 4: If they offer to represent you, and you accept, you've accomplished your goal!
Step 5 (only for those seeking self-publishing): Want to self publish but have no clue what to do? Well have no fear! Here are two different options you can consider:
Okay, I wish you all good luck in the publishing world and hope to hear of numerous success stories!! Thanks for reading, and I hope I helped you out (:
Ink 
p.s. any questions, feel free to message me or just leave a comment on this column.
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