The Byline Bible

Newspaper, magazine, and web editors are desperate for new voices and anyone, in any field, can break in. So why not you?

Over the last two decades, writing professor Susan Shapiro has taught more than 25,000 students of all ages and backgrounds at NYU, Columbia, Temple, The New School, and Harvard University. Now in The Byline Bible she reveals the wildly popular "Instant Gratification Takes Too Long" technique she's perfected, sharing how to land impressive clips to start or re-launch your career.

In frank and funny prose, the bestselling author of 12 books walks you through every stage of crafting and selling short nonfiction pieces. She shows you how to spot trendy subjects, where to start, finish and edit, and divulges specific steps to submit work, have it accepted, get paid, and see your byline in your favorite publication in lightning speed.

With a foreword by Peter Catapano, long-time editor at the New York Times where many of Shapiro’s pupils have first seen print, this book offers everything you need to learn to write and sell your story in five weeks or less, including:How to craft a cover letter and subject heading to get read and reviewed quicklyWho pay for essays, op-eds, regional, humor, or service pieces from unknown writersWays to follow up, build on your success, land a TV or radio spot, become a regular contributor, staff writer, and find a literary agent for your book with one amazing clipWhether you're just starting out or ready to enhance your professional portfolio, this essential guide will prove that three pages can change your life.

**Don't forget to nominate The Byline Bible for LibraryReads!**As an award-winning, sought-out teacher, Sue Shapiro is one of the only literary mentors who dares mention money and external success. Maybe that's why she has hundreds of students each term and more than 25,000 former students. They don't want platitudes, they want a clear path to print and prosperity. Instead of a course pack, this book would be required reading for anyone taking Shapiro's seminars and classes. It would be on sale at the dozens of crowded readings, talks, and panels she does every year for audiences of 100 to 1,000 at local colleges, universities, bookstores, and places of worship. She's often accompanied by top literary agents and editors she's freelanced for (as have her students) from The New York Times, The New Yorker, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Esquire, Rolling Stone, and Salon. Several of these long-term colleagues have already offered in-depth interviews full of fascinating and priceless advice that Shapiro weaves throughout, plus verbs.

More than thirty of her students have been featured in Daniel Jones' New York Times Modern Love column, several that led to books from top publishing houses.

Shapiro has shared her technique on the road, giving panels, talks, and lectures at the L.A. Press Club; Barnes & Noble in Manhattan, New Jersey, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Santa Monica; she's spoken at the Writer's Digest Conference on both coasts; Temple University in Philadelphia; Temple Israel and The Detroit Women in Communications.

She is the New York Times bestselling author of 10 books, including the acclaimed memoirs Lighting Up, Only as Good as Your Word, and Five Men Who Broke My Heart, the coauthored nonfiction books Unhooked and The Bosnia List, and the novel What's Never Said.