Communicator, thou shalt follow these writing edicts

These 10 Commandments for business writers should be etched in stone, or at least on an electronic tablet.

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Ragan Insider Content

Corporate communicators, follow these 10 Commandments:

1. Thou shalt not express your interests without first considering what matters to your reader.


2. Thou shalt not mindlessly copy and paste from previous communications, but instead choose the right words for this message at this time for this audience for this purpose.

3. Thou shalt not use inflated language and nonsensical jargon, for this will confuse or aggravate your reader and put your message at risk.

4. Remember to edit, and edit fully. For every 30 minutes you spend writing, invest another 60 in reviewing, revising and reducing the length of your work.

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