Journals typically publish author guidelines (sometimes called submission guidelines) on their webpage. You may also find author guidelines posted in an email or print call for submissions or in the pages of a journal's back issues. These guidelines tell you:
Just because a journal in your field is prestigious does not mean that it's the right journal for your work. Spending time evaluating the fit of a journal before you submit can increase your chances of getting your submission accepted, because you'll be applying to journals that are more receptive to your work.
One of the best ways to evaluate a journal fit is to read a few back issues of the journal. The Henry Whittemore Library maintains a list of journals to which it subscribes, which can be useful. Journals are also indexed in FSU's databases. Ulrich's can tell you where a journal is indexed. If FSU subscribes to the indexed database, you can search the contents of that journal and set up a Journal Alert to follow new issues.
Some journals may also post recent articles or issues on their website, which can also assist you in evaluating a publication's fit for your work.
After you submit your paper to a journal, it will undergo a review process. First, your submission may undergo a technical check, where editors see whether it meets their submission requirements. If you followed the journal's submission guidelines, it should pass this phase with ease. Next, peers in your field of expertise will review the submission for fit and quality and recommend either that the submission be accepted by the journal or that it be passed on. If peers disagree, the journal editor may seek a third opinion.
The editor may send back your submission for revisions suggested by the peer reviewers. After revising your manuscript per their suggestions, you will need to resubmit your paper. Your paper will then be copy-edited and published.
A journal may pass on a submission because of space considerations, because they recently published or plan to publish a very similar article or for reasons of quality or fit. If this happens, submit your paper to another journal and begin the process again.