The internet site
www.webook.com is currently running a freely submitted contest for up and coming writers. It is called Page to Fame. People freely submit the first page of their book for webook forum members to read and rate. After about 200 ratings the submission advances or doesn't. Advancing authors then submit more and more of the book as they keep advancing, with the payoff being at some point a publisher might catch your book and take it out of mix for print, or if the book reaches the end webook's publishing company will print it.
http://www.webook.com --- look for the page to fame link
I have not submitted anything, but I sure am having fun reading the submissions. Just another possibly interesting FYI from you neighborhood forum lurker.
Cheers,
Russ