breaking onto the scene

I agree. Having a friend or two read through your manuscript before you submit is helpful. You need to make sure your story line flows properly and that your story line and hook are eyecatching. Begin by surfing for publishers and agents and their blogs and get a feel for what it is they're looking for. Find books at the library and bookstore that are similar to yours and check out their publishers/agents. Most important: Write a great query letter to get their attention and make them feel like they can't live without reading your book! Good luck!

Probably the best first move is to find an agent. They would be able to help find a publisher that was best for the type thing you have written. Probably before even doing that you need to have a friend who can be objective and honest or someone read it and see what they thing about it.