Prepare an author's bio. Keep it updated with publishing credits as you publish your work. A bio listing an assortment of publishing credits doesn't guarantee everything you submit to magazines and newspapers will be accepted and published, but the more extensive your publishing history, the better the odds you'll have publishers paying attention to the work you submit.
Write for free. Beginning writers may need to do this. Obviously you want to earn a living with your work, but to help build up a few publishing credits, don't discount publishing for nothing more than a few contributor's copies. It's a good way to get your name, publishing history and your confidence built up.
Keep a copy of the current edition of Writer's Market on hand or subscribe to the Writer's Market online. The Writer's Market is a listing of fiction and non-fiction markets for writers that includes magazine, newspape, and book publishers. The guidelines will tell you everything you need to know about submitting to each market, including contact information, how to submit, what to submit, and what you will be paid. Writer's Market is a valuable writing and publishing tool. Choose markets that fit your writing style and submit your work regularly, according to the submission guidelines listed in Writer's Market.
Consider working for a local, small newspaper. Cover a local event and submit it to your local paper. If they like it, the story may get your foot in the door. Even building a portfolio of review writing clips or articles about local events will make a great addition to your professional publishing history and can lead to freelance sales or a job at a bigger newspaper. Be sure to prepare a professional job resume to take with you to an interview for a newspaper, along with your bio, publishing history, and any clips (actual tear sheets of your published work) you have available.