I hemmed and hawed about whether to give this 3 stars or 4. I decided on 4 since I intend to keep it out for rereading. This concise 120 page book tells you what you need to know about getting started writing columns for newspapers and magazines. It will be most useful to people who already have some background in writing and submitting. One of the things I liked about it is that the chapters are largely self-contained. I skipped from one to the other. They reinforce one another without being redundant. I believe it will prove a good reference and motivator as I make a foray into writing a column on gardening for my local paper. ( )