This perfect  article was written by Philip E. Bourne.

The advice I gave that day I have modified and present as ten rules for getting published.

Rule 1: Read many papers, and learn from both the good and the bad work of others.

Rule 2: The more objective you can be about your work, the better that work will ultimately become.

Rule 3: Good editors and reviewers will be objective about your work.

Rule 4: If you do not write well in the English language, take lessons early;it will be invaluable later.

Rule 5: Learn to live with rejection.

Rule 6: The ingredients of good science are obvious—novelty of research topic, comprehensive coverage of the relevant literature, good data, good analysis including strong statistical support, and a thought-provoking discussion. The ingredients of good science reporting are obvious—good organization, the appropriate use of tables and figures, the right length, writing to the intended audience—do not ignore the obvious.

Rule 7: Start writing the paper the day you have the idea of what questions to pursue.

Rule 8: Become a reviewer early in your career.

Rule 9: Decide early on where to try to publish your paper.

Rule 10: Quality is everything.