I am confused. While I am checking through the publisher listings many say they will only accept submissions via an agent. So while looking for info about agents I found on this site the quotation below.
Mark Le Fanu, General Secretary of the Society of Authors, explains when it is necessary for an author to have an agent. says "Poetry, short stories or memoirs? Forget it, unless you are already a household name, preferably with a wild reputation.
The vast majority of authors working in these areas should not waste time approaching agents and then agonising over rejections."
I am an unknown nobody at the moment, but one of the main reasons I will try to get my book published is that it blows open another totally hidden and ignored at present abuse carried out by the Catholic church on teenagers.
Should I just go directly to publishers and not bother trying to find an agent?
Sounds like 'none of the above', so look for an agent. If it's a misery memoir you can always change names and turn it into a novel. Otherwise it's non-fiction, so look for an agent.
You can always self-pub, or as you say look for publishers who accept direct submissions.