I've scoured the internet for publishers and of course they have to be quite well known otherwise one is risking the theft of your book but I can hardly find any who accept unsolicited manuscripts. I suppose I'm trying to avoid having to hire an agent but does somebody here know any publishers who accept submissions?
Agents should not require payment upfront, that's what I was told by a published author. an agent will usually ask for a small royalty on your book. Submissions are usually sent to an agent online or via post. web pages will show you their guide lines for submissions - there are a few pages on this site