You'll never see anything like a Mission Statement emanating from me. Most Mission Statements make me want to throw up. Their pomposity is matched only by the expense and difficulty of putting them together, and the frequency with which they are transgressed in the organization's actual practice.

All that said, there may be a place for some guiding principles, rules that help potential clients know, in a general way, what sort of consulting business they are looking at. Such principles can also be helpful to the consultant, as a way of letting him or her know he or she is staying more or less on track. So here goes.

• The greatest reward, for me, is in helping writers develop to their full potential-not in cobbling their work after the fact
• It's important to look at the entire writing process, not just at its end result
• An hour spent at an early stage may save five hours down the road. The earlier in your writing project I get involved, the better for all concerned
• Being a writer isn't like running a shoe factory. No single set of rules can possibly apply to the full range of writing situations
• Every writer is his or her own best editor. The problem is in getting writers to believe this
• Variety is indeed the spice of life. . .but there's still no point in being a slave to it
• I'm a busy man and can't afford to do charity work. But I will do my level best not to waste my time or your money
• Treat your clients like adults, and most will respond in kind. The others aren't worth keeping
• I've worked very hard in my life. Now it's time to play. If we're not having fun, to hell with it