Hi again Genghis, fascinated to hear about your endeavors. I will be interested to hear how you get on, as I have been slogging on a novel for longer than it's taken some folks to be conceived, become at peace with their gender and gain a command on a big jet, and still I am not near to approaching a publisher.
The gist seems to be to get a well laid out printed copy to a professional proof reader, so that the publisher's task is not too daunting. Double line spacing for all the red ink, and the software only for backup. This is a relatively small investment. Of course things may have changed while I have been working on the last chapter.
I personally, have fallen into the trap of letting a fun sci-fi evolve into a structured theological model that tries to envelope everything...from gravitational theory to the way in which the prime code–of which we are a subset–survives the big bang. Right now it's passing KF's "Pillars of the Earth" in number of pages, and is still growing. The concept of ‘less is more', lost to me ages ago. It sounds as though you are not falling into the same trap.
The subject matter is paramount. I have a life long pal that is penning a novel, it's a good tale, but I feel that he's missing out on a Gann like storey of his own endeavors to become a pilot...and of course the memoirs of the next 40 years. Now that would be a story...if the publishers were willing to take on the legal flack. Good luck