As a new author, I have found it very difficult to attract the attention of either an agent or a publisher. To date I have accumulated about 285 rejection letters. I'm not completely discouraged since Stephen King recieved over 300 before "Carrie" was accepted. After all, it only takes one. I even thought of self publishing. After all that southern lawyer, what's his name? oh yes, John Grishom was originally self published. I heard he drove all over the south on weekends with a trunk full of "The Firm" and then only sold them after the movie was made with Tom Cruise.
I've decided to put off that decision for at least a year. Instead I've begun to enter contests, hopefully to win and recieve recognition from my peers for my work, hopefully a little cash prize but more importantly the opportunity to be published. I've located a resource for this on the website of Poets and Authors Magazine. I've attached the URL here. http://www.pw.org/grants?page=2&sort=asc&order=Deadline&apage=%2A I never knew there were so many contests available. I do recommend that if you're going to be using thier resources then you should consider a subscription to the magazine. I've only recieved my first issue but I can tell you that it has more information about an entire range of issues that would be of intrest to any writer.
That's all for now. Good luck to you and to me.