Seven months after sending off the first draft of my book and two months after receiving it back with the comments of my editor at Riverhead, after letting the ideas ripen and mature and then doing violence to my own text, even crucifying many of my darlings in the first draft, I am ready again.
I just pushed send.
I’m happy with it. But of course I am again on tenterhooks, and feeling quite vulnerable, as I await the reactions of my editor.
The improvement was dramatic. I am reminded again of what Khaled Hosseini, also a Riverhead author, said about writing and rewriting: the first draft is purely a frame. The book happens in the subsequent drafts.
Still, I can’t help but wonder also about the law of diminishing returns: Would I be able to make such a dramatic improvement again in a third draft? Or is this where the book wants to be? Am I perhaps … done?
Hannibal and Me: life lessons from history 
Congratulations!
Congratulations, Andreas!
Thanks, guys!
Congratulations on getting the second draft out of the door!
Maybe a tiny tweaking but not a third draft.
Thanks for sharing this process, and your feelings, with your readers.
Congratulations.
It’s all good.
Agree with Cheri – a third draft would delay our getting our hands on your masterpiece… and judging by the quality of the writing you seemingly effortless bang out on this blog (not to mention in the august columns of The Economist) further polishing is entirely unnecessary.
Very kind of you to say, Jag. And dangerous, I might add: I might start believing you. 😉