How do you query a publisher?

In fact I would also like to know the ins and outs of this factor. I am also giving final touches to my writings and would like to know how to deal with it. I think it is a good description that you have started. I hope to get these answres for myself too.

Get a copy of this year's Writer's Market. It is a directory listing of every registered publisher with information concerning what kinds of materials they publish, if they accept unrepresented writers/manuscripts, and to whom and how to query. Most libraries have the Writer's Market if you can't afford it or don't want to spend the money on it. It is kind of a pricey book

I am probably going to go the agent route since most publishers won't look at unsolicited manuscripts. That's the agent's job. Of course if you are writing a non-fiction book, you can submit directly to the publishers. You MUST, absolutely MUST check their websites and follow their submission guidelines to a T. If they don't want your genre, don't even try. If you are submitting a novel you should write a good query letter, a synopsis of the entire story, and the first couple of chapters of the novel. The novel must be finished before you begin making queries to agents and publishers because if they want it NOW, you better have it ready. If you are submitting a non-fiction piece, then you should send a query letter and I think the chapter titles (ie Table of Contents). You don't necessarily have to have the book finished to do this. If no one is interested in what you are writing about then there is no point in writing it. If you go to your local library, look for the Guide of Publishers, Agents and Editors. (I can't remember the exact title but it is a very popular reference book). Look for publishers and agents that are looking for what you are writing. For example, if a publisher says they do not want horror and you are writing horror, don't submit to that company. Since most reference books can only be taken out for one day (at least at our library), write down the important information about all the publishers and agents you find, including website so you can make sure the guidelines are up-to-date. Good luck!

Most publishing companies have online listings and have instructions about submissions available on their sites. Some want just information about your ideas. Some want a completed submission. They also have expectations about how to send it, double spaced and such.