Ditto all the above. Herman's book is great. So is the Writer's Digest Guide to Literary Agents. They also have one for novelists listing publishers--their adress, contact editors, etc.

My advice--be patient. Finding a home for your "baby" might not be easy. It certainly wasn't for FIREBRAND. I spent SEVEN years, and accumulated 208 rejection letters before Amber Quill took the risk to publish it.

Is your MS a novel? You might try selecting a few chapters that stand alone and try submitting them to magazines that publish your genre and accept novel excerpts. Another thing is look for writing contests. There are tons of those and could help get your "foot in the door".

But don't give up. Believe in your stories. Get them out to the world. Do your homework. Ask questions!