So the agent suggests the author trim and revise his novel. The author revises the first half of the book and send it to the agent with an outline of the other changes. The agent send the revised half and outline to the editor.

A year goes by, or close enough.

The editor contacts the agent. He's 150 pages in, has some reservations but wants to see the second half of the book. If we get it right to him, he could finish reading by World Fantasy.

Problem: the author, waiting for word, never revised the second half of the manuscript. D'oh!

Some problems aren't so bad to have, I guess. Nice to know what I'll be doing evenings and weekends for the next month.