New Grad Student Looking for Tips (Pre-Doc/Publishing and Related)

Hi all! I’m a new masters student. Without revealing too much information (can DM), I have a decent undergraduate experience with writing, research (including a political history thesis I’d like to do more with) and government work. I moved to the west coast to test a different path but ultimately decided to transition back to academics. I am interested in using this masters as a pre-doc launchpad.

I know the faculty will be there to help but wanted to know ahead of time some things like the process or publishing (step-by-step and to which journals), grants/scholarships to know about, and advice for things I might not be aware that I will need in the future.

If it helps, I’m a comparativist who focuses a lot on the Sinosphere and accountability structures. I’m also curious about linguistic effects on perceptions of governance.

Any advice is greatly appreciated and I’d be happy to elaborate more in DMs (also to potentially collaborate if it comes down to it). Thanks!