The best place to start on your quest to being published is to hone your craft (see Getting Started). Once you have perfected your writing and your style, you then need to focus upon presenting your text in the correct way for the publishers. You must never forget, that publishing is a business, and therefore, you must go about presenting your manuscript to the publishers in a business-like way. See the below links:

Manuscript Presentation:

The Write Look - Manuscript Presentation. By Sue Kendrick

A Quick Guide to Manuscript Format by Moira Allen

The Obligatory Manuscript Format Article by John Gregory Betancourt

Style Manual: for Authors, Editors and Printers (5th edition available at Amazon) by DCITA (John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd) or (6th edition available at Dymocks)

It is also important to refer to the web site of the publisher you intend to send your manuscript to as each publisher's requirements may differ slightly. (see Fantasy Publishers)

The Publisher list here is by no means exhaustive, but is, instead, a starting place for those looking to become published within the fantasy genre. As will become apparent very quickly to an author looking to be published, many publishers, especially the major ones, will no longer accept unsolicited manuscripts. This makes it necessary to go through a Literary Agent. A list of Literary Agents that are willing to take on fantasy manuscripts follows the list of Publishers. Again, it is by no means exhaustive, but provides a good starting place:

Publishers:

Baen (see FAQs for advice on sending your manuscript to them)

DAW Books (accepts completed unsolicited manuscripts)

Del Rey (a part of Random House Publishing, Del Rey accepts manuscripts only through Literary Agents)

EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing / Tesseract Books (accpets completed unsolicited manuscripts)

Eos Books (a part of HarperCollinsPublishers, Eos Books accepts manuscripts only through Literary Agents)

Firebird (a part of Penguin Group USA, Firebird does not accept unsolicited manuscripts)

Helm Publishing (accepts unsolicited manuscripts and query letters with a sample chapter)

Silver Lake Publishing (accepts online submissions during given periods, 2007 being the next scheduled period)

Simon & Schuster, INC. (accepts manuscripts only through Literary Agents)

Speculation Press (usually accept submissions via email but currently not accepting manuscripts)

Tachyon Publication (generally does accept submissions but currently not at this time)

Tor SF & Fantasy (see FAQs for advice on sending your manuscript to them)

Warner Aspect Books (a part of the Hachette Book Group USA, Warner Aspect Books only accepts manuscripts from Literary Agents)

Literary Agents:

Agent Search and Evaluation (a must visit site to background check prospective agents or find prospective agents)

Agent Query (a searchable database)

Australian Literary Agent Association (an Australian list of agents but unfortunately for Australian Fantasy authors the pickings are slim and it is better to look overseas)

Australian Literary Management (will accept submissions, but requires and initial phone call)

firstwriter.com (allows you to search their database for Publishers and Literary Agents)

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Inc. (an important starting place for authors and contains a detailed section on the dangers of Literary Agents and offers advice on what you need to know)

The Association of Authors' Representatives (a free searchable database of Literary Agents)

The Chronicles Network SFF Portal (an important starting place for authors and contains a list of UK Literary Agents who specialize in Fantasy)

US Literary Agencies dealing with Fantasy (provides a large list of potential Fantasy Literary Agents)

WritersNet (a free searchable database of Literary Agents)

Besides going through Literary Agents or Directly through the few Publishers that do accept unsolicited manuscripts, there are alternative, although considerably longer pathways, to getting published. (see Alternative Ways of Publishing)

The best place to start on your quest to being published is getting your writing noticed. If Publishers are not noticing you and Literary Agents are not answering your queries, or you are just not confident upon embarking on such a course just yet, then there are alternative avenues available for you to pursue. See the below links for sites dedicated to helping authors in their pursuit to having their writing noticed:

Starting Sites

Critters Writers Workshop (a website free to join to post examples of writing and have them critiqued and to critique others' work as well) Writing World (provides advice on getting your writing published, and links to competitions and Literary Agents)

Locus Online (provides a database for online magazines specializing in Science Fiction and Fantasy)

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc(an essential starting point for any author wishing to enter into the world of Fantasy Publishing)

Spoiled Ink Writing Community (a website free to join to post example pieces of writing and have others comment on)

The Australian Writer's Market Place, by Queensland Writers Centre, (Publishing Solutions, 2006) (a must have book for any author in Australia wishing to get published)

Magazine Submissions

Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine (an Australian Science Fiction and fantasy magazine that accepts manuscripts)

Aurealis (an Australian Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine that accepts submissions)

Australian Speculative Fiction (a gateway to Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy competitions, magazines, and publishers.)

Fantasy & Science Fiction (a print magazine, manuscripts must be submitted in print)

Fantasy Magazine (a print magazine that specializes in publishing Fantasy short Stories)

Realms of Fantasy (an online magazine specializing in Fantasy that accepts short story submissions)

The 3rd Alternative (specializes as many magazines do in dark fantasy and horror)

Self Publishing:

Australian Writers Market Place (advice on self-publishing)

Legion Press (a small boutique assisted self-publishing company)

Lulu

Frustrated Author? Publish Yourself (an important article about the pros and cons of self-publishing)

This list is not exhaustive by any means and simply a starting point for alternative ways of breaking into the fantasy writing industry. It is very important when exploring such avenues that you know the legalities of submitting your work to these companies and onto the Web and that you are aware of the protections you do and do not have for the ownership over your work. (see Getting Advice)