So much editing...

 I've read and edited this book 5 times now in the last two months. I think I've added some great material to bolster the original story and still leave some development potential for later novels if I want to continue.

I also ran into a small hiccup. I had to submit the novel to the government for a pre-publishing review. They wanted to make sure nothing from work ended up in the material before I sent it to editors/agents. Thankfully, they stuck to their 30 day promise and it didn't end up in a bureaucratic black hole.

I have beta reader scheduled for next week, and I am currently retouching my query letters and agent lists. It's a whole different level of anxiety to fit your entire story into a 250-500 word sales pitch.