I will never presume that my audience doesn’t care about grammar, about spelling, or about such simple things as sentence structure.  I will never for a moment believe that, just because the devices they may read books on are getting smaller, that their minds are doing so at the same time.  I will never suggest that it’s not worth the time nor the energy to present the finest version of my vision possible.  I will never take short cuts, and argue that these short cuts are what my readers want.

I am a reader too.

I know this to not be true.

I will never presume that commas do not count.  While it is true I may over use them, under use them, and even misuse them in a fit of writing, I will always listen when I am told of where they are supposed to be, and move them around as necessary.  I will never consider them a luxury that only industry people care about, that can be flung around without affecting how readers will enjoy the story.

I am a reader too.

I know this to not be true.

I will never quote sales to win an argument.  I will never wave around royalty checks like they provide my voice any more credence than someone else’s.  I will never mistake the ability to write massive numbers of words that are connected together into the same file as a mark of the quality of those words.  I will never consider doing so over and over again as any form of validation of my skills.  I will never consider editing a sign of weakness.  I will never dismiss drafts as a frivolity.  I will never think that my words are sacrosanct to never be touched or questions, and that my readers want them that way.

I am a reader too.

I know this to not be true.

I will not be a dick.

I will not be that guy.

I will merely write to the best of my ability and make it better through the abilities of others.  And I hope to be held to this, because if I cannot be these things, if I become the dick, if I’m ever that guy, I deserve everything that is coming to me.