Some members of the Sisters in Crime visited Harper Collins, agent Simon Lipskar of Writers House, Penguin, and Soho Press on their Publisher’s Summit (See their first installment/second installment).
They report (according to the folks they met) the hot genre is the thriller, “positioning” the story is key, writers need to write lots (more than one book a year, blog everywhere), authors need a “strong Internet presence,” and remember that publishing is a business.
It’s a fascinating read for someone like me, interested in what it takes to get published and what it means once you’re published.
Nullius in Verba 
Right, I’m off to write a historical suspense novel. How hard can it be?
be sure to include paranormal abilities for the hero and (perhaps the) antagonist.