I have not yet got the macro thing down yet..... 
There's not as much mystery as there is trial and error. And I say that as a total amateurish slob, so don't accept my word.
You need decent glass (i.e, lens) for macro, but it doesn't have to be super, but decent.
The mistakes I think people make with macro and other close-up shots in general is they feel they have to get right up to the target to pull the trigger. Well, no. That distorts the perspective. If you have good glass, step away from the subject, and then bring your glass into a longer focus. That helps the perspective.
I have a Nikon D80, which is very old technology now, but I get by. For macro shots, I always put it on manual. I use a low f, and when I step back from the subject and then zoom in, it works. Of course, you have to make sure your exposure is right.
Photography at the professional end isn't simple, because being professional rarely is, but there are a few basics that are simple.
The lower the f-stop, the narrower the plane is that you're focusing on. So if you want to focus on a bug and leave the background blurry )as I did), that's a a low f-stop. If you want everything to be in focus, that's a higher f-stop.
BUT... that also messes with the shutter speed. The narrower the plane of focus, the more exposure/speed you have to play with. But if you want to include everything in focus, then you need more time to gather in more light.
Okay, maybe it's not completely simple. At least to explain. It seems simple once you have the basics down.
Anyway, if you're trying macro, try to back up as much as your glass will allow and still zoom in. Maybe it's just a couple inches. Maybe it's a couple feet. Just remember to back up and not try to get so close that you can see the pores.
