Kind of a long response, but all tips... The most important is that you are a good mom whether you breastfeed or feed formula. You'll figure out what works for you.
I had difficulty in nursing both my kids from the start - bleeding/cracked nipples both times, and the first time that happened before we left the hospital! The good news is that if you see a lactation consultant or your general practitioner, you should be able to get a prescription for a pain killer that is breastfeeding friendly - I was given Vicodin in the hospital for this. I actually didn't take the drugs, but it was nice to know they were available. Anyway, go to Target or the closest natural pharmacy to you and stock up on Lanolin gel, soothies (small, round gel pads for sticking in your bra to soothe the nipple and cut down on chafing- awesome if you refrigerate them first!!), and the large donut looking gel pads for heating/cooling your breasts. These large donut things I put in the microwave for 30 seconds and they help your let down for pumping, but also help soothe your inevitable blocked duct....
Once you've got the essential gear, you need the tips.
So, what worked for me was first making sure the latch was right. The kid needs to open his mouth like he is eating a huge hamburger, and only then let him latch on. You can stroke down from his lower lip to his chin to get him to open that way. Next, and this is critical, if he doesn't latch properly, you have to break the seal by inserting your pinky in his mouth, pressing on his tongue. If you don't, those little suckers will shred your nipples! You'll know he is latched fine, as assuming you don't have any open wounds, his sucking won't hurt. It will probably feel totally alien, but it won't actually hurt. (The let down sometimes hurts - for me it felt like an army of freezing ants running down my chest!)
ALWAYS air dry your nipples right after a feeding. And breastmilk has both antiseptic and chafe-resistant qualities, so you might express a little on your sore nipples before letting them dry a few seconds. (If you immediately put them back in your bra, they'll stick and you'll lose skin, and you'll be totally unhappy...)
IF YOU WANT TO KEEP PUMPING - and keep in mind I pumped for the first few days for each kid, until I was healed, only breastfeeding at night and then I pumped at work after 3mos until each kid was 1 - you need a hospital grade pump. The hand pump won't work. I had an ameda purely yours. Also, you might invest in Mothers Milk tea and fenugreek pills. Both will help you keep your milk supply up. If you intend to simply pump, you need to pump around 20 minutes every 2-3 hours and during growth spurts, you increase your supply by pumping 20 minutes every 1.5-2 hours. If you go this route, I used the steam cleaning bags by medela to sterilize everything and once a day or so ran everything in a dishwasher.
All of this do-able. I promise that if you figure out the latch, and in the meantime give your body sometime to repair, you can breastfeed comfortably. It is actually really nice after you get in the groove. For me it was about 3 mos with my first child before I wasn't totally freaked out by having this parasite attached to me for food, but then I started joking I'd nurse the kids until they went off to college ;) Feel free to send me a personal note if you have more questions or simply need someone to remind you that whatever works out is best for you and your family.