Back to Jennifer's question about my agent. I've been with him since 1990; he's the only agent I've ever had. I went with him for a number of reasons. First, he got back to me within 10 days of receiving my ms. This is unusual; agents commonly take 6 weeks to 3 months. Second, when he got back to me, he said, "I think this book is great and I'd love to represent you." I liked those words "great" and "love;" enthusiasm is communicable from agents to editors. Third, when I asked for a list of writers he represents and then called them -- fairly well-known people, though not in my field -- they were all very positive and encouraging. Although of course, as he pointed out to me, "I'm only giving you people who like me. You'll have to find the others by yourself." So far I haven't found any others. He seems to be well-respected throughout the industry. We were together 3 years before he finally sold something of mine. That means he was making no money off me during that time, but he always returned my calls within a day, and when he finally got an offer, drove a good bargain and took care of a host of details I didn't even know existed. We get along well and work well together. I think I'm pretty lucky.