Entering this new territory, I’m setting some rules to help me write honestly and well. Why? So I get personal and professional satisfaction, and readers get worthwhile information that’s a pleasure to read.
Rule 1: Write only when I have something to share about business writing: a tip, a bit of wisdom, a useful resource, a story worth retelling.
Rule 2: Promote good business writing. Focus on the bad stuff (without naming offenders) only as examples to avoid.
Rule 3: Write to my readers. Although blogging is keeping a journal, it’s a two-way public pastime.
Rule 4: Have fun with language, tone, and style. Save my more conventional business writing for places where it suits the message, the medium, and the needs of readers.
Rule 5: Use blogging as a commitment to learning. Research new tools to tell about them. Read books and blogs to recommend them. Stretch as a writer and a teacher. Make mistakes publicly, wince then smile about them, and let others learn from them too.
Rule 6: Respect my readers by avoiding blatant self-promotion. Give away more than I sell.
Rule 7: Enjoy the heady company of business bloggers.
Rule 8: Strive to limit myself to just seven rules at one time.
