Pitch. Go the long, traditional route and pitch a book proposal to a publisher. Most publishers prefer either a completed manuscript or an excerpt, so be sure to have something already written before you even begin to contact publishers. To increase your advantage, try networking with agents and other writers who can give you tips about getting your book published.
Enter contests. Poets and Writers, Writers' Digest and Writers' Weekly are well-known publications that sponsor and list writing contests that readers can enter. Local writing clubs may also have information for other contests and grants, so be sure to check out one.
Submit to literary journals. The next time you go to a bookstore, you may notice that beside the magazines, there are small booklets filled with stories and poems. These are literary journals, which can include poetry, fiction, and nonfiction stories; some are also called reviews, because they write about literary criticism or critique literary works. Although they are not as lucrative as other publishing routes, this is a great way to gain exposure and respect in the literary world, which is usually hard to break into.
Do freelance writing. Plenty of magazines feature non-fiction and fiction stories from contributors. There are various types of writing that a given magazine might need including personal essays, short stories and how-to guides.
Try self-publishing. More and more writers are taking hold of the opportunity to do self-publishing, whether by writing an e-book and selling it on-line, or going to a local printing press and selling the book at local bookstores. It is generally more difficult to publish this way because of the start-up costs and the lack of connections and marketing opportunities that one enjoys with a major publisher but, if the book succeeds, there is more money for the writer.