I would start with On-Page Optimization. Make sure the title tags, images, h1 tags & meta description include the keyword you are aiming for. Make sure the content of your pages has your target keyword a couple of times and use bold or italic at least once to make your keyword stand out. Also make sure each of your pages have SEO friendly names like "www.mysite.com/target-keyword".
What I usually do next is to add Google Webmaster's tools and Google Analytics to my new site. Make sure to create and upload your sitemap.xml to your Webmaster's account.
After that I start creating social media accounts for my website, then wait between 1-2 weeks and start checking if my site has been indexed to Google.
I know SEO consultants no longer do articles submission. I believe it doesn't provide as much link juice as it used to and it might be penalized now by Panda or Penguin algorithms (could be wrong I am still learning).
Try to find a few trustworthy and high quality directories and submit your site on them but don't go too crazy.
Usually this basic strategy gets your site noticed by Google and the other search engines.
Create a blog for your new website and share useful and quality content so you can start using social bookmarking.
And of course try to create a great backlink strategy. I higly recommend you this video. And this amazing beginner's guide by SEOmoz. Take your time and track your progress. Make all your backlinks look natural.
As for how many backlinks per day just remember your site is new so don't go adding 100 links per day. Also, instead of worrying about the quantity, focus on the quality of your links.
Oh yeah, and be very patient!