As a writer hoping to break into the mainstream fiction publishing world in the next few years, I've spent some time researching the topic of "how to get published". Advice ranges from "get a good agent!" to "submit manuscripts directly! Slush piles are your friend!" and everything in between.
But the majority of the advice is dished out by people who haven't published anything I'd care to read. And those who are published well, in fiction, generally have no advice because they got published the old-fashioned way; by chance meetings and connections, or relentless submission of material over many years.
Neil Gaiman's blog does contain a nice set of resources for writers early on in their careers. It's the most reasonable-sounding advice I've heard so far, and the warning about agents from one of his associates, if true, contradicts much of what I've read elsewhere. Essentially, she says that an agent who will represent you without a firm offer from a publisher isn't the kind of agent who has your best interests in mind. See Gaiman's post here.
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