Submit several of your stories to literary journals for publication. You'll want to get your name out in the literary world and get as much exposure as possible before submitting your book to publishers. Presses prefer to publish collections by authors who are well known, especially since short-story books can be a tough sell to the reading public. Keep track of your submissions by maintaining a database of which journals you've sent your stories to and the status of each submitted piece.
Send your stories to short-story contests. Make sure each contest is reputable. Any sponsoring organization that charges a reading fee of more than $15 or $20 for each story is probably not well established or regarded and may just be running the contest for profit. Contests sponsored by publishers and universities are usually more reputable than smaller contests, but in all cases use your best judgment.
Select the stories you'd like to include in your book. Make sure it's your best work. Don't include any stories you're adding just to reach a certain word count. Hire a professional editor to polish your stories, or if your budget is limited, enlist your friends and colleagues to give you feedback.
Submit query letters to literary agents. A query letter is a pitch letter, a concise summary of your story collection that includes a brief author bio and any significant writing credits or awards. Buy the most recent edition of "Guide to Literary Agents," published by Writer's Digest Books, which lists established literary agents, the genres they represent, submission requirements and contact information.
Wait and be patient. Once you've secured an agent, it may take some time to hear any news one way or another. Your agent will send query letters to publishers much in the same way that you sent query letters to literary agents. If publishers express interest in your work, she will send several chapters to them for review and send the entire manuscript upon request. This process can take many months.
Sign a contract. Once a publisher calls or e-mails your agent with the good news, your agent will receive a contract that outlines the agreement between you and the publisher. She'll review the language and negotiate terms for you. In most cases a publishing contract offers an author an advance on the book's royalties. Advances range from less than $1,000 to more than $1 million for celebrities, politicians and high-profile authors. As a first-time author, expect your advance to be on the lower end. Large commercial publishers typically offer authors a royalty of 7.5% of the gross sales of hardcover books and 10% of paperback releases, but this number varies by publisher. Smaller presses generally pay authors lower royalties, often on the net profits they receive from the sale of books.