Today is Khaled Hosseini’s birthday as I was informed this morning when I read the e-mail from The Writer’s Almanac.

His first novel was such a extraordinary best-seller, he felt the bar was set so high for a second novel that he had a difficult time beginning the writing, and can be quoted saying  he had “this almost pathological fear of boring the  reader.”  

 Hosseini’s second novel, a much more ambitious one than the first, A Thousand Splendid Suns, seems to be his answer to a challenge he was afraid to meet.  Personally, I loved it—enjoyed looking for the distinguishable marks of change that the author made—and think every woman in the world should read it.  Nevertheless, back to the argument of second novels—let’s face it they are hard to write, especially after a successful first one.

 So what can you do about this problem?  I’m not saying my work is a phenomenal success, I can merely supply an answer to what to do about second novels.  Authors and novelists, here’s what I did.

 I wrote a novel, got an agent, and the novel was sent to about twenty editors.  One of these was even Hosseini’s editor. I received these oxymoronic letters: the writing is strong, or evocative, or lyrical or spellbinding, BUT it’s not marketable. How could that be?

 Okay, I thought, I’ll put it away and write another.  That’s precisely what I did, and that’s precisely what anyone out there who has faced rejection should do.  Write another novel.  Now this second novel will be your first, and if it is picked up, will probably stand more of a chance then your first one, which will now become your second novel.  With the experience of writing another novel, you can now face that first one now dubbed “your second,” and make it stronger and marketable. 

 Maybe, just maybe, it’ll be better than your first.  Why? You’ve gained much more experience. Surely, you won’t have trouble beginning it, because all you’ll have to do is read it over, make notes, and then revise it. Read it again and make final changes.  You’ll save yourself time, emotional roller-coaster feelings of self-doubt, and be able to send your agent that “second novel” sooner rather than later. How long did it take you to get that final draft you sent out? Think of all the time saved!

 Of course, it helps if you have a terrific writing group like the one I have to give you support.  It helps if you’ve co-authored The End of the Book: Writing in a Changing World, or if at least you’ve downloaded it and read it!

 There is no perfect writing—there is only re-writing. Deal with it. Good luck.