Writing Blog

Thou shalt not hold the client to ransom 

Don’t get the reputation of being a writer who takes the client for a ride. There are cases where the client has parted with confidential information about a product and a writer has threatened to sell the information unless he was paid more. The trouble is, the Internet today has a great way of dealing with these cheats – you’ll find so many clients putting up diatribes against writers who held them to ransom. Don’t become a part of that list – you’ll never be able to wipe that stain off.

Thou shalt not over promise 

Did we say deadlines are sacrosanct? They are and so is being realistic. If you can’t understand head or tail of a topic, try not to tell your client you’ll do a brilliant job for him. Over promising leaves an aftertaste of disillusionment in its wake. Always try and give a client a little more than he expects and you’ve got a client for life!

Thou shalt be loyal to thine clients 

They pay you so try and accord them the loyalty that is their due. If you can’t be loyal to your client, don’t work for him. You don’t have to like a client but you need to be loyal. This means no recycling the work you have done for him and which he has paid for and sending it to someone else. It means no bitching about him to other clients – yes, even if it means you don’t really like him. He’s paying you – reciprocate the way you should. You’ll find that your clients stand by you for years.

Thou shalt not add on fluff 

Well, this should be your guiding light most of the time. There are times when a bit of fluff and sizzle is needed otherwise writing, like life, can be a bore. However, there is a time for fluff and a time when fluff should be banished from your writing. More often than not, the latter state is where you need to be.

Thou shalt not miss deadlines 

Deadlines are just that - lines that you wouldn’t cross unless you are dead. Treat deadlines as sacrosanct and you’ll never have to worry about time management. You won’t have to worry about losing clients either. There’s a certain comfort level with a provider who always sends back the work on time.

Thou shalt be self critical 

If you look at your work objectively, you will learn to be more critical and make the necessary corrections. You’ll find that when you are critical, others need not be because you’ve raised the bar and given them the best.

Thou shalt be proud of thine craft 

Now this presupposes a few things. It means you can write, maybe write well – or rather hopefully write well. It means you have to say the same things better than most people would say them. It also means that you are proud of what you do so you make sure that only the best goes out. Treat your writing like it is a craft and you’ll be proud of every word you write.

So you’re an online writer now. It’s so easy after that first break to think you’ve arrived. However, if you want to go down that road to writing heaven with success in every stride, you’ll need to do a lot more than just write well. You need to move forward with dignity and integrity. Here are the 10 commandments that will hopefully make you do just that.

 Thou shalt be proud of thine craft

 Thou shalt not plagiarise

Thou shalt be self critical

Thou shalt not miss deadlines

 Thou shalt not add on fluff 

Thou shalt be loyal to thine clients 

Thou shalt not pass work to others without permission

 Thou shalt not over promise 

Thou shalt not venture into unknown areas 

Thou shalt not hold the client to ransom

 What do these 10 commandments do? They don’t help you to write better. They help you to just be a more professional writer. With that comes better paying jobs. Give a client a brilliant writer who never bothers about deadlines, number of words, confidentiality and give him a good, disciplined, trustworthy writer and there’s no question of him choosing brilliance over the steady – maybe for a one-off piece but not for the long haul. So follow these 10 commandments and go forth to have a great writing career.

More about those commandents in the posts to come.