The rulings of the past do not always apply in the present.

Morally repugnant and tactically stupid are a lousy combination.

The only judgment that truly matters is the final judgment.

Aggressiveness is good in a combat leader. Combining that with ambition and insecurity becomes more problematic.

I was 29 when I wrote my first novel. But I was 45 when I quit for good. I was a 16-year overnight success.

Write what you care about and understand. Writers should never try to outguess the marketplace in search of a salable idea; the simple truth is that all good books will eventually find a publisher if the writer tries hard enough, and a central secret to writing a good book is to write on that people like you will enjoy.

The manuscript you submit [should not] contain any flaws that you can identify - it is up to the writer to do the work, rather than counting on some stranger in Manhattan to do it for him.