Most writers can write books faster than publishers can write checks.

I have no problem selling books to media franchises and we do it all the time. The author must understand that he/she is a writer for hire and has no control over copyright or over editorial changes made to the text.

Except for a few small presses, most publishers are north of Ground Zero.

The key factor is whether the agent is a member of the Association of Authors' Representatives, which screens its members and requires them to uphold a Canon of Ethics.

Look at the sky. It’s not dark and black and without character. The black is, in fact deep blue. And over there: lighter blue and blowing through the blues and blackness the winds swirling through the air and then shining, burning, bursting through: the stars! And you see how they roar their light. Everywhere we look, the complex magic of nature blazes before our eyes.

No one likes it, apart from blind people, and I'm sure even they can sense it's profound ugliness as it passes by.

We are taking a business-as-usual position at my agency, though business before 9/11 wasn't that hot either!