How do you set a delivery date for your business book?

Are You a Marathoner or a Sprinter?

I've written previously about how long it might take to write your business book - Writing a manuscript takes longer than you think - but after listening to the fabulous Happier podcast episode Are You a Marathoner or a Sprinter? (Listen on Apple Podcasts ) recommended by my good friend Anna Hatton , I had a sudden realisation that I'm a Marathoner and that this viewpoint would affect the way I view and set deadlines.

But first, if you're not familiar with these terms, Gretchen Rubin separate these two types when it comes to big projects:

1. Marathoners - they work more slowly, doing smaller amounts of work more often over a long period of time. They want time to research and reflect and may deliver ahead of the deadline. They might even dislike deadlines so work this way to ensure the project feels more manageable to them.
2. Sprinters - they like the pressure of a deadline and use it to clarify their thinking. They might even wait until the last possible moment to start and then work full-time on a project to meet the deadline. Just like the name, they work fast and zoom to the finish line.

As a Marathoner in life and work, this likely affects how I might discuss deadlines with authors. I'm often asked, "when should I deliver the manuscript in order to publish on X date" which, to be honest, worries me. But that's a clear Sprinter question - they want a deadline to aim for, and my Marathoner mentality worries that this approach isn't achievable. I've now resolved to discuss this more with authors to figure out which type they are, in case it helps them work more effectively.

But deadlines are essential in publishing, and there are usually quite a few: a deadline to deliver your proposal, to deliver your manuscript, to check your proofs. Publishers also have internal deadlines to ensure we get the book ready to publish on the date being advertised. If a retailer offers us a promotional slot for a particular date, there's no wiggle room on the delivery date and so everyone at Pearson is working towards making that date achievable.

So usually, when discussing the manuscript deadline with authors, I suggest a few things:

• Contractually, we have a draft date and a final date usually a month apart. This means, if I see nothing else, once I receive the draft manuscript in July, I can read it and make comments and the author will have 2-3 weeks to make those changes and submit a final manuscript in August.
• Practically, I urge authors to deliver manuscripts in batches. It's so much easier to see chapter/s occasionally as they're being written so I can give feedback sooner that hopefully will be useful for chapters not yet written. This avoids authors having to rewrite a lot, and builds that collaborative relationship.
• Realistically, and from experience, I expect authors to take between 4 - 12 months to write a manuscript. Exceptions might be a new edition or revision with minimal changes, or an author who knows they can't deliver for a year or so. For a typical book, any sooner than four months seems unrealistic and doesn't allow for content development, and usually any longer could mean the book publishes too far in the future and might not be as saleable.
• Editorially, there are usually changes to make - it's very rare to publish a manuscript as delivered with no changes or comments, and we need to allow time for the author to incorporate any changes.
• Deliberately, I like to allow wiggle room on deadlines - in case the author delivers late, in case the manuscript needs more work, in case we need longer to clear permission for material, in case there are design issues, in case the printer delivers copies late. There are so many eventualities, which is why I tend to get worried about authors wanting to deliver as late as possible to meet a publication date. So I always push back and ask for more of a buffer.
• Unexpectedly, if authors are ill or unable to fulfil their deadline, we are very willing to extend if necessary. We just ask you to let us know as soon as possible so we're not advertising a book publishing on a particular date if that's no longer the case. So keep in touch with your editor, even if it's bad news.

So this year, I'm going to try to discuss working styles with authors more to see if they're a Marathoner or Sprinter. Does any of this resonate with you? Which one are you?

The Pearson Business Book Club

The Pearson Business Book Club is open to all who would like to learn more about our business books or learn something about a particular topic, and the webinars are completely free to attend. You can also view the on-demand videos of previous sessions on the Book Club website.

January's Business Book of the Month is 7 Skills for the Future by Emma Sue Prince , and her masterclass is "Hit the ground running in 2023 - the skills that will help you succeed". To attend the webinar on Thursday 26th January 2023, at 2 pm (UK time) please register at https://www.pearson.com/en-gb/book-club.html, where you can also download a sample chapter of the book, and find the video on demand after the session.

We live in times of unprecedented change, speed and complexity. In a world where the lines between work and life are increasingly blurred and where expectations are higher than ever, we need the right skills at our fingertips and soft skills are your greatest asset. 7 Skills for the Future will help you to understand, develop and use the 7 soft skills that will radically increase your self-awareness, prepare you for any situation you find yourself in and equip you for the workplace of the future.

?● Adaptability ● Critical Thinking ● Empathy ● Integrity ● Optimism ● Being Proactive ● Resilience

Get back in the driving seat of your own life, enabling you to be happier, find and do work you love and have a true sense of purpose.

"Although we are born with these seven skills, it is never too late to improve the way we use them in life and work. Everyone should buy this book and keep it by their bedside for reference. This way each of us can continually increase our happiness, success and well-being.” - Mark Swindell, Founder and CEO of Rock Rail

Just Published / Noteworthy books

The Financial Times Guide to High Impact Negotiation by Prof. Dr. Kasia Jagodzinska will help you strategically prepare for negotiations so you can reach successful, long-lasting agreements. A negotiator who has a clear understanding of the objective and a step-by-step guide on how to reach that objective gets better results. Most negotiators fail because they allow emotions, lack of clarity and strategic confusion to cloud the negotiation process.

Covering negotiation from preparation to execution of the negotiated terms, this book bridges tactical preparation with self-management. You’ll be guided through how to prepare strategically using the Negotiation Matrix, how to secure executable high-stake agreements while securing the longevity of the business relationship, and how to develop a negotiation mindset so you’re better prepared for future negotiations.

Prof. Dr. Kasia Jagodzinska serves as a Senior Adviser to the United Nations on matters concerning multiparty negotiations. Her repertoire of experience also includes working as a Professor at several universities in Switzerland, France, Italy and Poland. She is the Founder of Negotiation Booster and an International Consultant for the Schranner Negotiation Institute. She brings a wealth of international business experience from the EU, the US and the Middle East, which she combines with an academic career.

“Better than any other I’ve seen, this book identifies the psychological factors underlying each of the major stages of the negotiation process and describes how to harness them for success.” Robert Cialdini, Author of Influence and Pre-Suasion

What am I reading?

After taking the holidays to read The Chronicles of Narnia and some related books, I started the year with When by Daniel Pink as I'm keen to better organise my time, and I've heard a lot of people mention this book. It’s a useful book, and if you like stories and examples, you’ll like his writing style. I quite like the practical Time Hacker workbooks at the end of the chapter but did feel I'd heard a lot of these ideas before. That’s not to say it’s not useful, but perhaps it needs to be repeated as common sense that we fail to follow.?

Finally

Do you have any ideas or suggestions for future newsletters? Did I strike a chord with anything in this newsletter? Is there a business book you've enjoyed recently that you'd recommend? Add a comment or email me at [email protected].