Rule #8

Well begun is half done.

Rule 8 involves putting special effort into the beginnings of things. Front-load your efforts. I've rarely not accepted an article that had an exceptionally good introduction, or accepted one that made basic mistakes in the intro. A bad title, a bad opening sentence, undermines the reader's confidence in the writer. It is easier to forgive a writer who slips later on, if you already have confidence in him or her.