I take no personal credit for this, but I read it, liked it, and am reprinting it with the permission of its creator, author and publisher HANK SHRIER:
1. I am the Author, lord of the book. I shall have no other lords before me.
2. I shall keep my editor close to me and compensate him/her well for he/she is with me.
3. I shall not payeth any agent or Publisher or Agent up front for any services for those who demand this are like the snake in the garden of Eden tempting me with their forked tongues.
4. I shall respect myself and carefully practice my craft. I shall eliminate errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar as much as possible before submitting a manuscript.
5. I will humbly accept input from people who are trying to make my writing better. No one is perfect and we all need outside help to maximize our potential.
6. I will seeketh a great cover designer, for the cover is the countenance of my book and speaks first to the potential reader. I will not skimpeth on my cover for to do so is to cheat the creative force that breathed life into my creation.
7. I will accept that it is up to me to market my book. I will pray at the altars of Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter. I will reach out to the multitudes of readers with open arms and embrace them.
8. I will respect myself and my fellow Authors by keeping the price of my work at an honorable level. i will not sink to the bottom and sell my soul for $0.99 minuscule slivers of copper.
9. I will gladly share the credit for the success of my work with those people who empowered me to be in the position to participate in this wonderfully creative process.
10. I will respect my fellow craftsmen and support their efforts with my mind, heart and soul. When possible, I will support them with my purse as well. I’ll not ask for or accept any free books.