1) Publish only what you really love.
2) Publish only what you have read yourself – don’t publish by hearsay or on the basis of a reader's report.
3) Don’t be influenced by fashion or by what other houses are publishing.
4) If any of your authors want to leave, give them a first-class ticket.
5) Be patient: publishing is a very long game.
6) Don’t be obsessed with sales or with reviews.
7) Never give up on a book: its time may come when you least expect it.
8) Authors are human beings, just like you.
9) Don’t be too friendly or too businesslike with your authors.
10) Be honest and pay your royalties on time.
11) Resist to hype, and always bear in mind that there are at least one hundred billion stars in our galaxy alone.
Now, to the smart alec who says “Hang on a sec, why eleven and not ten?” I answer: “Well, I got your attention, right?”
AG
These 11 commandments are, indeed, holier than the 10. Combining the 2 versions generates further ideas, e.g. publish thy neighbour - or, indeed, thyself.
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