Willard wrote:
Don't submit to publishers yourself. Submit to literary agents; when you find one that handles your type of material and feels you've got a salable product, then the agent will submit to publishers for you.
Agents have contacts at the publishing firms and know how to get you a fair contract.
After your book sells, the agent gets a percentage. No legitimate agent will ask you for money up front, but they'll only take you as a client if they're pretty sure your book will sell.
AgentQuery.com << Try this link
Very, very good advice by Willard. Legitimate agents do not ask for money upfront. The agent sells the book for you and then gets a percentage of royalties, I think it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 15%, meaning you keep 85% of the whole thing. And since it's a bigger pie, at times, often considerably bigger, you come out ahead. Plus, not having the hassle of all this business stuff yourself.
As someone on the spectrum writing a book about the Autism Spectrum, that's appealing. Publishers might decide the market's over-served (or whatever, they very much are herd animals), or they may not. Try the traditional route first of getting agent and letting the agent sell. You just never know. Good things might happen.
As far as the editing, please don't over edit. Don't shave it all down to grayscape. Maybe the first pass, just any glaring mistakes or omissions that jump out at you. Small mistakes can actually add texture. Even larger mistakes. Definitely let your own original voice stay in it.
And then please get started on your next book!