Gale Warnings - Twilight of the Demi-Gods

Ever wonder how a book gets published, becomes a best-seller, maybe even a movie later on? Here are some of the people who make it happen. But brace yourself: sometimes it ain't real pretty. Besides, which of us can say who really writes a novel that gets published by a traditional publisher. The publisher never even gets to see it unless a literary agent has approved it and sent it on, hoping the publisher decides that the agent's judgement was correct and the book turns out to be salable.
Do we see the ultimate product only after an editor has "doctored" the author's manuscript?
Or does the publisher himself dictate the final version of the book, since he's the one who makes the decisions that count?
Come to think of it, what if the author isn't really the author? But then, with all the roadblocks between the author and the reader, does it really matter who writes the book?
Kinda makes you cogitate, don't it?