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That's an aspect of this business which can be very frustrating and aggravating. Most of what is written about you is wrong and so much of what does get printed is often about personal things that you don't want to have other people read about.

Keep the problems of clients and prospects confidential. Divulge information only with their consent.

I suppress the vast majority of what I write.

Writing can be a frightening, distressing business, and whatever kind of structure or buffer is available can help a lot.

Protect the time and space in which you write. Keep everybody away from it, even the people who are most important to you.

Preserving that privacy between a writer and the work is important. You have to shut out all those voices that have reacted to your work.

I'd prefer not to tell confidential information about future products.

I think every writer has got to direct. If you don't direct, you can't protect your work. The only way to ensure that it's going to be as close as possible to what you put down on paper - and what you see and hear in your head - is to do it yourself.

That is the thing about being a writer; your subject matter may not stay your subject matter if you break their trust by revealing personal and editorialized information about them.