i suggest going to the local book store and getting a copy of writer's market and find the magazine you are trying to get published. the entry will tell you the requirements and how much you will get paid. it also should have a couple articles giving advice about getting published.

the basic steps are to contact the publication, pitch your idea, and upon acceptance submit your article. then, you wait for it to be published.

YMMV but that's the basic premise. writing magazine articles is generally a much more in-depth endeavor than most people realize, and many i've seen published in the last few years are not written very well compared to the level of writing seen in national news magazines.