tagnizkur asked about this over in another thread, so I figured I'd address it over here in the Author Craft section.

Note, of course, that this is just my opinion; everyone has a different take on getting published!  The first thing is to write the book and get it in the absolute best shape you can.  Agents and editors are flooded with books all the time, and if something's been turned out quickly and not honed, they'll pass on it very quickly.

When you're ready to submit, I heartily recommend an agent--especially for fiction.  Some people balk at the 15% agents get, but they often get you better deals than you'd get on your own--so it works out.  Plus, a lot of editors won't even look at unagented works, so you'll get more attention that way.  As far as actually getting an agent, do your research.  There are books and books on how to query.  Forums like Absolute Write and Backspace are also good resources. Most importantly, research the agents you're submitting to.  Make sure they represent what you write, and follow their submission guidelines exactly.

A key thing to remember is that this a business where you have to jump through many tedious hoops.  A lot of "old school" authors--Terry Brooks comes to mind--have stories about lucky breaks and how they knew someone who knew someone.  That is not the case nowadays.  I have a dozen other author friends with 1-2 books out like me, and we all came up through the slush pile.  The system really does work, but a lot of people are too impatient to go through it.  But you've got to.  Send your queries.  Be diligent.  Brace yourself for rejection.  Above all, keep doing it, and while you're submitting that first book, start writing another.

Good luck!