Okay, so I just finished Sue Shapiro's 'The Byline Bible' and WOW. As someone who's been staring at rejection emails for months, this book felt like a literary life raft.

First off - Sue doesn't just teach writing, she teaches how to SELL your writing. Her 'humiliation essay' assignment? Genius. I wrote about that time I accidentally wore two different shoes to a job interview and suddenly three editors were interested.

The Google Updates tip alone was worth the price. Who knew searching trending topics could make my pitches so much zingier? My last piece got accepted because I tied my personal story to that viral cat video (don't judge - it worked!).

What I love most is how Sue balances tough love with genuine care. She'll tell you your first draft sucks (politely), then show exactly how to fix it. Her advice on handling edits? Priceless. Now when an editor suggests changes, I don't take it personally - I see dollar signs.

PS: If you're debating journalism school vs this $15 book... get the book first. Saved me thousands and landed me two bylines in Week 3!