Identify the genre and page count of your book. Some publishers have limitations on the size and types of books they print, especially if they are a small press.
Look through resources such as Writer's Market (a series of print publications, along with a website, that list publishing houses) and the Association of American Publishers to establish a list of publishers who work with your genre and page count. These resources provide the contact and submission criteria for each publisher, including a website (if the publisher has one).
Go to each publisher's website to verify the submission criteria, including the name of the current acquisitions editor. Send a submission guideline request via snail mail or email to publishers that don't have websites.
Review the catalog of each of the publishers on your list. Eliminate any publishing house whose catalog demonstrates that the publisher would be unlikely to publish your work. Review the submission guidelines you receive from your guideline requests and eliminate additional publishers whose guidelines clearly exclude your work.
Analyze your list of remaining publishers and identify the publishers that are most likely to accept your work. For example, if guidelines indicate that a publisher only publishes one percent of unagented submissions, you're better off trying first at a publisher that accepts 20 percent of unagented submissions.
Construct a personalized query letter for each publisher you intend to contact. Be sure to address the current publisher, write a good opening sentence and cite your qualifications or publication experience.
Send the query letters to your first-choice publishers via mail or email. Include additional documents such as a synopsis or sample chapters if required by the publisher's query and submission guidelines. Based on the submission guidelines, you'll need to wait anywhere from 1 to 12 months to hear back from each publisher. Follow up after this period has passed.
Send additional query letters to your second- and subsequent-choice publishers as in Step 7.
Send requested book materials to publishers that show interest in your work.
Negotiate with the publishing company that is able to offer you the best publishing contract. Don't sign anything until you've had an attorney review the contract offered.
Send an email or letter or the publishers who showed interest but with whom you've chosen not to work. Indicate in the letter that you have chosen to publish elsewhere but are thankful for their consideration and will keep them in mind for future submissions.