Around eighty percent of nonfiction books today are written by “experts,” that is people who have a) earned credentials in the field they're writing about, b) germinated information via articles, live presentations or other media, or c) had extraordinary, unique or memorably told life experiences relevant to their topic.

For an autobiographical work, such as a memoir, an author needn't have any special expertise

Arrogance has a bad rap. We think of arrogant people as unpleasant to be around, full of themselves, and incapable of taking an interest in anyone else. However, when applied to one's own writing, a certain measure of well-placed arrogance can be a useful tool.

Writing can be a scary enterprise. The writer puts herself out for public scrutiny in a way most other artists and professionals do not. When the writer publishes, she commits herself to the words she's written for the rest of her life. Even if she changes her mind about what she's said, others may still react to the piece decades after it first appears in print. This can make even the act of putting pen to paper (or more likely, fingers to keyboard) an anxiety-producing ordeal.

Then there is the schooling most of us received, which treated writing as a chore rewarded when well done or punished when poorly done, as opposed to a pleasurable activity for ourselves and our readers. Very few of us had any audience for any the writing we did in classrooms, other than the teachers who instructed, criticized and graded us. It's no wonder most writers suffer from self-doubt rather than overconfidence. We tend to underestimate ourselves and our words, even when they come from the most powerful places inside us, even when we get accolades from the outside world, and even long after we finally get published.

Practicing selective arrogance can help disarm these nasty doubts. And, not to worry: If you are not arrogant to begin with, practicing the type of arrogance I suggest will not transform you into an insufferable braggart. Rather, it will help uplift you from the gutters of self-doubt onto the clean, dry road to getting published. Even if you do not feel in the least arrogant about your writing, you can still follow my simple instructions to act as if you do, with the same results: to get published, or to get published again.

Selective arrogance does not mean thinking of yourself as any better than anyone else, or as having reached the pinnacle of your skills. Rather, it means treating every word you write as a precious baby worthy of the greatest care and nurturance. Here's how to do that:

Never, ever throw anything away, period.

Carry with you at all times a means to record your creative thoughts.

Record your creative bursts, even if other voices inside you are dismissing them with negative judgments.

Trust your impulses and passions: if you feel drawn to write about something, write about it!

Eschew impatience-give your babies the time they need to gestate.
If you've read between the lines, you see that these instructions have you do nothing more than treat yourself and your writing with respect. However, because many people have a hard time doing even that, I counsel my clients to behave arrogantly. It gets them giggling and releasing the feelings they have about their writing, and makes it easier to find that respect.

Although you may have read elsewhere to be prepared to throw away your first writing attempts, to release attachment to your early work and the like, nuggets of wisdom and creativity appear throughout a writer's life from childhood through seniority. I advocate collecting and these and treating them with care, perhaps polishing them now and again. There is no magical moment when one suddenly becomes “a good writer.” Thus, your most novice scribblings become diamond mines.

The one time I disobeyed my own advice and discarded what was I believed was possibly the most poorly written sentence in history (or at least my own history), I rejoiced. Five minutes later, I needed the gem in a new sentence, and struggled to reconstruct the one I'd discarded. May you never make that mistake-do as I say, not as I've done.

These gems also shine through at unexpected times. This is why I advise my clients to carry at least some scrap paper and a pencil nub if not an electronic recording device. The times at night and in the mornings between wake and sleep often yield good raw material, so keep your recording device of choice bedside.

The idea behind saving every little scrap, writing everything down and cultivating the arrogance to believe these activities matter is that finished pieces often assert themselves over time, forming a coherent whole from little scraps, like a Rorschach, or getting that crucial letter right in the Wheel of Fortune. The key is to keep feeding the collage and trusting that something or things will emerge over time.

Not every sentence will necessarily lead to an essay, book or screenplay of its own. But some might add that missing piece to make a good piece great. Even tidbits that go nowhere for now still give your brain a chance to exercise itself and keep your creative pathways well-hacked.

When it comes to choosing which pathway you'll write your way down, trust your wild and wooly impulses. If you're drawn to something, chances are you will make the subject come alive. You'll seduce your readers by the very fact of your relationship to the material.

Finally, give your pieces the time they need to develop. Being an arrogant writer means honoring the gestation period your writings must pass through to be born into the world healthy and ready to engage readers. Honoring this gestation period may mean asking for help. Just as the dedicated gardener finds the right soil, fertilizer, seeds, watering schedule and equipment, so the arrogant writer finds her coach, buddy, copyeditor, ghostwriter, or colleague's expert eye. I have seen writers move from stagnation to publication with the right combination of assistance. I love being part of that process.

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I am sure that at in some era, at some desk, with some kind of paper (and perhaps some very special ink), some writer has breezed through a lengthy and challenging project from beginning to end with no delays. No one in her household has suffered, she's felt pleased at each step of the process, and her shoulders have never cried out for massage. I'm sure of this.

I am equally certain that for most people, writing projects have at least some period of delay. Sometimes, it takes the form of distraction, and a bit of discipline works just fine to bring us back. Other times, our life's work or inspiration of the moment sits there, waiting for us to get back to it, and every incomplete we've ever taken in school, every shaming message we've ever heard, or self-doubt we've ever felt encrusts the project like so many barnacles.

Worse still, “procrastination” and “writer's block” pop up in writer's tracts like names of diseases that need “cures,” the right sledgehammer, or perhaps simply to be ignored. While some writers may find it helpful to have a name for what gets in the way of what they're trying to achieve, “writer's block” or “procrastination” can falsely universalize very different phenomena. My obstacles, yours, and hers may be different animals, different species or even perhaps silicon-based non-organic entities. Framing them as negative blocks the opportunity to learn something about ourselves or our writing.

For example, my reluctance to finish my novel may reflect a correct hunch about a major flaw in the story structure I'm loathe to face, while yours may stem from guilt about being the first in your family to succeed at an intellectual task. Each of us has an opportunity to notice and deal directly with the heart of the delay, rather than its limbs which trip us. Dealing with the heart of the delay could lead us down a more effective and sustainable path than the one we'd forge by simply steamrolling over the delay, or walking around it. I might need to bring in a book doctor to raise the quality of my work, while you might need to have a heart-to-heart with a family member, neutral third party, or both about what it means for you to succeed as a writer.

I humbly suggest the following: When next you find your mind meandering anywhere but to your work, don't beat yourself up. Instead, give a listen to what's guiding you astray. The answer may surprise you

Like any field, excellent writing requires study, practice and mentorship. Very few successful authors ever published their first draft of their first work. Nearly all had to expend considerable effort to improve their craft. Here are some ways to prepare for that moment of publication. These tips also help keep you on your toes after publication for better and better writing results as your career develops.

1) Read, read, read in your field. You can never read too much when you're trying to excel as a writer. Reading in your field helps you develop a discerning eye. You need this discerning eye for when you step back and look at your own work.

2) Cultivate role models. Know who the top-selling authors are in your field. Find out more about them. How did they get to where they are? Do searches in the Internet (available in most libraries-ask your librarian how to use a search engine) for information about particular authors whose careers you admire. Let your role models inspire rather than daunt you. There is no competition, only inspiration, potential teachers and opportunities for cooperation. That author you envy this year may be writing a blurb for your first novel next year.

3) Research your markets. If you want to publish in periodicals, whether literary fiction, journalistic writing, or anything else, realize publication standards serve a purpose other than to frustrate new authors.

4) Take classes. Many cities offer writing classes through community colleges or local writing groups. Online writing classes are popping up everywhere. If possible, choose a writing teacher who has published in a field you'd like to enter. Even better, find someone you already consider a mentor. Not every published author has what it takes to offer beginning writers what they need, but many do.

5) Join or start a writer's group in your area. We teach best what we most need to learn. There is no better way to improve your own writing than to help others with theirs.

6) Find a writing buddy with whom to check in on a regular basis. The two of you can be each others' inspiration, accountability market, guidepost and reality check. Having structure and someone to check in with may help you look forward to your otherwise lonely writing sessions.

7) Play with changing voices. Copy other writers you admire. How does that feel? Pretend you suddenly got an injection of creativity serum or I.Q. booster, then write like mad for ten minutes. What happens to the quality of your words? Is this a possible new direction for you? As creative and intelligent beings, we have so much more within us than we could ever dream.

Accept the reality of rewriting. Unlike other professions who get to rest on their milestones, for writers, a completed manuscript often represents a beginning. The best writing comes after lots of rewriting, even for seasoned authors. You needn't throw any of it away, but not every sentence belongs in every work. Save the scraps, but don't get attached to where they go, or the integrity of your project will suffer.

9) Get clear on what you want out of getting published. Many writers move forward without knowing where they want to wind up. As a teacher once told me, “If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.” The answer to what you want out of getting published will help you determine the best route to take. And in publishing, those routes are many and varied. You can use our Twenty Questions as a self-help guide.

10) If what you want is to get published in the least amount of time, considering hiring a ghostwriter. An extremely common but rarely discussed practice, many successful authors talk to ghostwriters, who put their skills to work on an author's behalf. Although some such ghostwriters get a cover credit, many do not, hence the “ghost” terminology. If you have more money than time or inclination to toil, ghostwriting may be the option for you. Learn more

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If you think you have writer's block, it's all in your head. Like any idea, you can accept or reject it.

The best way to handle any problem is to prevent it.

Here is a proven prescription for avoiding the blank page blues:

1. Develop an idea you are enthusiastic about. Enthusiasm keeps you going when the going gets tough, and it's contagious — your reader will get it from the book

2. Schedule regular writing time, even if it's only half and hour a day. Sticking to a schedule fosters creativity and gets the book finished.

3. Use writing time for writing. Think or plan while you walk the dog, ride the subway or bus, drive to work or do the dishes.

4. Don't try to edit as you go. It's counterproductive. Instead, keep notes on changes that occur to you and mark the spot with something distinctive, such as ***, so you can find it easily later.

5. Set a specific time to do any editing you can't live without: the end of your working period, Monday mornings before you start work, or any other time outside your daily writing schedule that works for you. If you can hold all editing until your first draft is finished, you'll be able to see everything in perspective and do a better job of editing.

6. Be cautious about reading your work to others or asking them to read it and comment. There are two kinds of comment: valid criticism and reader reaction. Both are valuable, but be sure you take into account the person's background and degree of expertise in writing fiction. Don't let your work get nit-picked to death.

These few things will help you get your book finished at least in first draft. Once you are able to read your story through, you can rewrite, make changes, edit and fine tune until it's as good as you can make it.

There's nothing like practice. the more you write, the easier handling the little stuff becomes. Practising good habits helps build confidence, and good self-confidence banishes the idea of writer's block and makes you a better writer.

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Web gives a lot of exposure; weblog stabilizes the exposure with a profound purpose. The purpose of a Weblog is to complement e-newsletters, serving readers in a way that extends a blogger's expertise and leadership in the market.

So, what is it that is expected from a blog? A blog is considered to be a place to inform and to be informed. Straight talk is what readers consider to be an ideal blog message. Straight talk is a four or five sentence of direct, informative content about a specific issue or bit of news.

Blogs consists of human expressions and is expected to have a soulful purpose. Blog posts are expected to be a personal post, as it can convey blogger's emotions. So, these messages are mostly written in first person singular and are rich in emotions. Blogs are also expected to provide details from the writer's life: missed flights, break-ups, rodents under the stove, computer breakdowns, muggings, and tamale recipes and more.

A blogger should always remember that if there are doubts that readers will discount the article entirely based on its context; they shouldn't consider linking it at all.

Authentication of the message is one important aspect that a blog post is expected to adhere to. Blogs are expected to be clear about its source. This avoids chances where readers may cease to trust the bloggers. These chances may take shape if discovered that the information source has been disguised or the blogger didn't make the source of an article clear. The readers might have evaluated these sources differently had they been given all the facts. Into every aspect of the practice of weblogging, transparency is one of the weblog's distinguishing characteristics and greatest strengths.

A writer's goal and priority should always be clarity.

It is a bloggers responsibility to focus exclusively on producing content that attracts the reader. What determines the right kind of content? This can be determined by reading other blogs and hitting whatever is hot in discussion or high in trend.

The most compelling bloggers are necessarily the ones with the most insightful analyses and the best links; besides this the most successful are those who get the reader interested in their own ongoing story. Because bloggers on similar subjects link to each other, the reader finds it easier to understand opposing points of view. For bloggers, not linking to others is a death sentence for their ratings.

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Sure, we all want to look on the shelves at Barnes and Noble and see our books there. It's thrilling. But it's really not necessary. I see so many authors waste their time and money paying distributors and driving from store to store, delivering books when they should be selling directly to the public. The Internet makes it possible.

In fact, there are many good reasons NOT to be in bookstores:

These are some of the snapshots I carry with me:

My father coming up to visit me after first being diagnosed with leukemia. The visit was a surprise, and he brought a new computer with him. As he carried it into the house, he said, “This isn't yours, but I'm going to let you use it.” Later that afternoon, he told me he was dying. We spent the entire weekend playing with the computer, trying to write crude DOS programs and get it to do what we wanted. It was as close to him as I ever felt.

Carrying my dog Seth into the veterinarian's office and placing her on the cold stainless steel table. Her so well behaved, as always. Me fighting back the tears in front of the doctor. She had been diagnosed with bone cancer and her limp was so dramatic that every step had to be excruciating. I couldn't stay to watch him put to her to sleep. It just hurt too much.

Answering the knock on the door at three-thirty in the morning and stepping outside, where ashes were floating down out of the sky like giant snowflakes. The Fountain Fire, which had started nearby and had burned some 65,000 acres while moving away from the house, had turned back during the night. I remember the acrid smell of smoke in the air. The sense of urgency and danger, mixed with utter silence and an odd, surreal beauty I don't think I'll ever be able to describe. The house, fortunately, was spared.

Standing in my father's hospital room, watching him as each breath gradually grew a little shallower. Some so faint I wasn't sure if he had taken a breath at all. Finding myself counting the seconds after his last breath, time stretching out further and further, and then the realization — the moment's passed. It's over. He's dead. He's never going to take another breath. He's never going to smile again, to laugh. A piece of the foundation of my life has just disappeared.

My mother giving me a copy of Ray Bradbury's The Toynbee Convector for Christmas. It was her last Christmas, and we both knew it would be her last. The smile on her face, because she knew I was a Bradbury fan. I asked her to sign it for me. After she died, I bought another copy for reading. I keep the copy she gave me safely tucked away, where I can pull it out whenever I need and remind myself how lucky I am.

Believing in Santa Claus until I was ten years old. Every Christmas we would go for a long drive through the surrounding neighborhoods on Christmas Eve to see the decorations. When we returned home, there would be a fire in the fireplace and presents under the tree. I like believing in Santa Claus. And the Grinch, too. Oh, and it was my grandparents who put the presents out each year.

My father dropping my sister and I and a friend off at the State movie theater to see a cartoon festival one Saturday morning when I was eight. It ended up being the wrong theater. Instead of cartoons, we watched a movie called Terror From The Year 2000. It was the first movie that ever scared me. For years, I was haunted by visions of a purple woman mysteriously materializing behind me.

Reading Edgar Allen Poe stories at my grandmother's house at night in bed when I was a young boy, and how wonderful they were.

The Book Mobile that came by the house once a week when I was a boy. Looking back on it now, it was a tiny little thing. But it seemed cavernous at the time. I remember the excitement of climbing up the steps, the smell that was somehow ancient and new all at once, the plastic covers, the tall shelves.

My sister sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night as a teenager to go hang out with her biker boyfriend. She got caught. Her bedroom window got nailed shut. She was the bad seed. I was the good son. Of course, as adults, she's far more responsible and levelheaded than myself.

My best friend when I was eleven, sneaking into our house while we were away and stealing all my marbles. He left a perfect path of footprints leading directly back to his house. I asked him to return the marbles and he did. We remained friends, but it was never quite the same after that. I had something over him and neither of us like that.

Spending the night alone in the Community Center in preparation for a huge arts and crafts sale the next day. I was there to make sure nothing was stolen during the night. It was cold and dark and eerie. There were Christmas ornaments everywhere. Little gingerbread houses with gum drop roofs. Miniature rocking chairs with Mrs. Santa in place. Ceramic statues of little elves. Reindeer made of wood and felt and pine needles. Nightmarish. Absolutely nightmarish.

Walking down a path in the mountains late at night, following what little moonlight there was, and having someone jump out behind a tree, completely unexpected, and scream. On the outside, I barely flinched. Inside, I thought my legs were going to give out and I couldn't stop my heart from pounding.

Me and three friends being pulled over by cops because they were looking for someone and we apparently fit the bill. The ordered us out of the car, had us put our arms on the vehicle and spread 'em, then frisked us and asked for I.D. It was as guilty as I ever felt for having done nothing.

Becky, who was an excellent diver, trying a dive off the diving board at summer camp and coming down on her face. For weeks after, she walked around looking something like the Elephant Man, her nose swollen and twisted to one side, huge black-and-blue stripes beneath each eye. I wish I had a camera.

A boy in sixth grade running out into the street to get a baseball and getting clobbered by a car. We all gathered around to watch as he walked in circles, his eyes glassy, repeating over and over, “I just wanted to get the ball. I just wanted to get the ball.”

Old Airport Road, where one night two young teenage lovers went barreling down the dead end until they slammed into the embankment and totaled their car. I was ten. My sister was nine. My father heard the sirens. He scooped us up, put us in the car and followed the ambulance to the accident. I remember there were shards of broken glass everywhere. The air was sharp with the smell of oil and gasoline. We watched as the two teenagers were strapped into gurneys and each stuffed into an ambulance. Their faces were a bloody mess. The girl was groaning nonstop. I don't know if they made it or not.

The night I left the front yard when I wasn't supposed to, so I could show a visiting neighbor where my school was. Most particularly, I remember the whipping I got when my father finally tracked us down several hours later.

The first time I ever shoplifted something. I was eight or nine, and I had gone to the store to pick up some bread for my mother. While I was there, I slipped a candy bar into my pocket. Not being terribly proficient at it, I think a bit of the candy bar was sticking out. When I went to the check out counter, the cashier suggested we get some “fresher” bread. I followed him back to the bread shelves, where he casually asked what was in my pocket, and before I knew it, I was in his office and he was calling the police. I don't think he actually called them. I think he was just trying to scare me, which believe me, he did. He ended up giving me a lecture and telling me to have my mother come see him next time we came to the store. I never told my mother. And I hated it every time I had to go anywhere near that store again.

The dogs barking one night, and me blindly following them out into the woods to see what the fuss was all about. We stopped in front of a stand of manzanita, maybe two or three feet away, and suddenly a coyote let out a howl from the other side. The dogs started barking again, and there was some rustling around in the dark. I didn't stay to see what it was all about.

<p>The babysitter, an older woman who cared for us during the day while our parents worked, washing my mouth out with soap. I don't remember what I said, but I do remember that it was the only time I had ever had my mouth washed out with soap.

Taking a walk down the long driveway out to my mail box one afternoon, and finding a cow's heart and intestines dumped in a pool of blood in the middle of the road. Apparently, someone had stolen a local cow during the night and slaughtered it in my driveway, which was hidden just off the main road. Or aliens had visited the area. I guess I'll never know for sure.

Working on the roof of a house with my father and grandfather. This was a new house, the family's “dream house,” that would eventually take two full years to build. We were cutting and laying wood shakes. Off to the side, I caught a glimpse of my father climbing down the ladder. I peered over the edge and asked him what was up. “I'm going to the hospital,” he said. “I cut my finger off.” He hadn't said anything when it had happened. He hadn't yelled or screamed or cried. He had picked up his finger, and climbed down the ladder, fully prepared to drive himself to the hospital. My grandfather ended up doing the driving. I stayed behind and continued working on the roof, absolutely amazed at my father's calm reaction to such a horrifying event. I was fifteen. I still got excited about slivers.

Cutting wood for winter one August afternoon. Pacific Gas & Electric had come through last summer and leveled a number of pines while installing an electrical line into the back of the property. I had taken the chain saw to one of the piles, unaware that nearby a nest of yellow jackets had built a hive in the ground. Apparently, they didn't care much for all the racket. Before I realized what was happening, I found myself under attack. It was a long, long run before the last of the persistent fellows finally gave up the chase. I was fortunate to come away with only five or six stings.

Going up for a rebound while playing basketball when I was in my early twenties and coming down wrong on my foot. I ended up on my back, and when I raised my head to see what had happened, I discovered my right foot pointing the wrong direction. I had dislocated it. On the way to the hospital, I couldn't remember where I lived. Once I got to the emergency room, they had to put me under because they couldn't get my foot back into place and every time they tried, I screamed. Even in my twenties, I couldn't find the composure under adversity of my father.

I carry these snapshots with me wherever I go. Some were taken at the most significant moments of my life. Others were taken for reason I cannot fathom. All I know is they are always with me. Yet each, in its own way, has contributed to my fascination with horror.

I write horror not because I've lived it, but because it charms me, because I see its place in my life and the lives of others around me, and I want to understand it.

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There are many websites that will host your articles on the Internet. Some small, some large, some with guidelines, some without, some support streams of topics, some have a limited focus, some charge a fee and some are free.

With so many places to post your articles how can you maximize distribution with the least amount of effort? You can do so by being selective. Post your articles only on sites that support your topic, have integrity, and have a win/win approach. Since no two websites are alike. Here are a few features to watch for when considering your articles for submission:

1. Search capabilities. When you are at the website is there a search feature visitors can use to find a certain topic? If the page or pages list articles one after the other down a long page readers will not get past the first 20 names. Actually they will not even read that many. Web viewers do not have the patience to scroll through rows of titles trying to find the right subject.

2. How user friendly is the website? If the article section is buried inside a website and you have
difficulty figuring out how to submit your article you will want to consider submitting your articles to this site.

3. What is the purpose of the website? Is that purpose supportive of your article, topic, and purpose or detrimental? Is it a sales page just trying to drive up search engine optimization under false pretenses? don't be fooled there are many of them out there. Is the host of the website apparent or nonexistent? Can you find a phone number or location — city, state or country?

4. Submission guidelines. Some websites stipulate a word count, minimum, maximum or range. If your article doesn't meet their word count stipulations your article will normally not get published. Take them seriously and take the time to read them. More importantly find a system to track these. I have a rating system I use with 1 being the perfect submission site on up to 15 being an absolutely no. I keep track of the no website sites so that when I'm looking for new sites I know which ones I have already reviewed.

Since website owners change, just as we do as we learn and grow with our skills, guidelines change occasionally as well. I recommend reviewing the guidelines either every three months or at least ever six. Some sites have gotten sneaky and post good guidelines and then change to “we have the copyright now” sites when you are least expecting it.

There are also a few sneaky submission sites that are counting on you not reading their guidelines. These sites stipulate in their guidelines that upon submission the author gives up their copyright on the article. Some are blatantly labeled while others are hidden inside obscure legalize.

Some sites stipulate that you give them permission to use your material in anything they print or publish. This means that they can accumulate articles on a certain subject, and this is their usual intention, put them together in an ebook and sell the ebook. While some of you will not mind this and consider it viral marketing there are some dangers in this. And this author knows because this has occurred to her materials before she became wise to the secret purpose.

5. Statistics. There are very few websites that provide reader statistics. I love the websites that
tell me how many people read the article. I want to know if a particular topic is well read. Many sites prefer not to post reader statistics. I suspect it is because writers would see that there is a very low count and submitting their articles. Voting on the article is a nice feature, however, it is not really a vital statistic counter. Maybe 1 out of 10 to 15 views will someone take the time to vote. If the voting feature is remotely positioned viewers never know of its existence. Even if this feature is position well on the page — above the article to let readers know its there and immediately below the article — readers will rarely vote unless the article was awful.

Article hosting and posting is a joint venture — view it as such — and you will maximize your time and effort.

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Last week I was having a quick browse on eBay when something caught my eye. “Black patient shoes!” screamed the headline. “Must see!”

“Wow!” I thought. “Patient shoes! What are they when they're at home?” I clicked on the link. The shoes appeared. Black they certainly were. But 'patient'? No. Or not as far as I could see, anyway. These, you see, were patent shoes — as in 'patent leather'. And very nice they were too — just what I was looking for, and in my size. Did I buy them though? Not on your life. I didn't buy the “gorgeous sequence dress” I found a few minutes later, either. (Answers on a postcard if you can guess what a “sequence” dress is…)

My reasoning was simple. If the sellers of these items couldn't be bothered to take the time and care to make sure they'd got the name of the product right, and spelt it correctly, then how on earth could I trust them with the more complex matter of accepting my payment and sending out my patient shoes? The answer: I couldn't. The sloppy spelling had created the impression of a sloppy seller. It had also lost them a customer.

So it is with business. You may think that a couple of spelling mistakes in an email or report don't matter. They do. Just ask all of the prospective job candidates whose applications didn't make it out of the slush pile because their covering letter was littered with typos. They don't get an interview because they've already made themselves look careless; if your website is a mess of bad grammar and spelling, then it doesn't matter how great your product or service is - you already look unprofessional. And if your marketing literature is littered with mistakes… forget it!

Whether you're a large-scale business or a small-time seller, proofreading is something you really can't afford to skimp on. It's also something you shouldn't try to do yourself. As any professional writer will tell you, when you work on a piece of writing you become blind to its faults. No matter how carefully you re-read it, you see what you think is there. That's probably why last year a well known news website confidently predicted that John Kerry would “knot” win the US election. And why my accountant keeps writing to me about “teh business.”

If you're serious about your professional image, get someone else to proofread your brochures, website, letters and adverts. And steer clear of patient shoes…

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