Ah, a new convert to the sweet sport of DXing!
Jason, N5NJ is right on the money when he suggests you develop the listening habit. Not only will you learn where the DX stations are, but you'll learn HOW they operate, which in turn will help you develop your operating strategies.
Next, get comfortable working split (where the DX station transmits on one frequency and listens somewhere else). You can tell the less experienced (and less successful) as they call the rare ones again and again on their operating frequency, when it is clear that the DX is listening somewhere else! Basically, if you hear the DX working station after station AND YOU CAN NEVER HEAR who he's talking to, chances are he's working split. Also, listen to the DX station's instructions: if he says, "listening 200 to 210," that's where you want to transmit. A lot of successful DXers will listen on the DX's frequency AND tune around until they hear the station he's working, then set up their own transmit frequency slightly up or down from there. Depending on which way the DX station is tuning, you can increase your chances of a successful QSO.
If in a phone pile-up, transmit your WHOLE call, using standard phonetics. Learn to send it quickly, but clearly. The DX may not speak English fluently, so enunciate! Also, sometimes it pays to pause a second or two before transmitting; if you get the timing right, everyone else will stop yelling just in time for you to be in the clear.
Fit your operating style to the DX station's. If he's working stations with a quick "5/9," don't bother telling him your weather, rig, etc. Just exchange reports. But, if he WANTS to ragchew and so do you (isn't it great to have a nice chat with someone on the other side of the world?), then go to it!
Be aggressive, but don't lose your sense of decency or your plain ol' common sense. If a DX station says, "the Tango station ONLY!" it would be counterproductive (and rude) for you do transmit your callsign then. If the DX is working by call districts and he's asking for "7s only," don't muddy the waters by calling from 4-land at that time. But still, thousands and thousands of LIDs (poor operators) try these tricks anyway. Go figure!
Develop your sense of what bands offer the best propagation to different parts of the world, and at what times. But, remember there ARE variables involved (and that's what makes it fun)! You may hear Europe most mornings on such-and-such a band, but you could also wake up to VKs and ZLs or even VUs long-path on the same band.
Keep a handful of envelopes on file at the incoming QSL Bureau for your call district. The procedures vary at each "buro" (some ask for 6x9 SASEs, others for money), but you can get the scoop from your bureau's webpage. Check
www.arrl.org for links.
Learn the tips for direct QSLing. Some basic ones are, don't include callsigns on outgoing or return addresses (some postal workers in faraway lands have figured out that callsigns mean there may be money inside the envelope), always include a return envelope big enough to handle a return QSL larger than standard size, and always include return postage. In some cases this may be a dollar ("green stamp") or two, and in some cases this may be an IRC or two. Learn which countries accept U.S. money and which could get the foreign ham thrown in jail for receiving $$! If the DX station has a U.S. QSL manager, ALWAYS include a self-addressed-stamped-envelope. It's a little thing, but amazingly many operators don't do it.
Well, that oughta clog up a whole eHAM page, but it should give you a healthy start in an extremely rewarding aspect of ham radio. Hope these ideas help.
73,
Bob Dunn
K5IQ