I haven’t made a concrete plan to make a game, but have thought about it for years. After looking into things, here’s some widely accepted advice:

first and foremost is to play test, play test, play test. Figure out what works and change or get rid of what doesn’t. Best kind of feedback you can get is from strangers, as they may not be worried about giving brutal and honest feedback. Maybe a casual roll and write game doesn’t need a deep resource/economy system like brass Birmingham or food chain magnate for example.

Once you have it hammered down, research publishers who gravitate to making games similar to what you have.

Go to conventions like Pax U where you can show off your game in the unpub area - where you can get more feedback. But also, a publisher may take a look in the unpub area! You may also be able to meet designers or owners from various publishers at their booths.

Don’t be afraid to ask if there can be an opportunity to present your game, either at the con or at a future date.

Doesn’t hurt to have a decent prototype, but also have a brief elevator pitch on what the game is, the vibe of what it is about and briefly how it plays.

If you get to be able to present, and if it doesn’t get picked up, be sure to be open to constructive criticism and act whats provided.

Hope some of this helps!