Writer's Fallout Shelter

So I finally finished my novel that I have been working on FOREVER (at least it seemed that way) and now I am wondering what I am supposed to do next?

I've done a couple re-writes, actually the whole thing was a re-write. I was just trying to spiffy up a short story and it turned into four parts and thirteen chapters.

Anyway, I was wondering what people do when they are done. I've thought about submitting it to publishers, but I don't even know how to find the publishers to submit to. A friend of my family who is an editor actualy had the publisher she works for interested, but she doesn't work there anymore and I don't know how to do it on my own. I know that I don't want to pay squat, not one dime even. If this thing gets published it will not be because I said it was good.

And what do I write now? For the past year and a half, I have largely dedicated myself to writing this monster, thowing out a few poems and such when I got blocked. Do I have to start on another novel? Or can I just write some short stories or somehting?

I feel almost like somebody died...is this normal? I worked so hard and now I wish I wasn't done.

If you feel like checking it out, it is in pieces in a folder called "Invalid Item" .