How long does it take to write a book?

‘If you want to put yourself on the map, publish your own map.’

~ Ashleigh Brilliant, author & cartoonist

Because you are creating a tangible product that will attract people to you, and will be a valuable asset to your business, take your book project seriously and map out a plan before you begin. If you don’t, chances are your book will become just another discarded dream in the dust on the edge of life’s highway.

As a self-publisher, you will create your own deadlines and accountability. Setting an achievable launch date is a good way to give yourself a target—but how much time do you need??

Please note: The time frames below are guidelines only and every author is unique.?

? The editing, design and printing people who work with you on your book will give you their own time requirements, which you must respect.?

? Be realistic. A rushed job will cause stress and is more likely to contain mistakes.?

? Giving yourself too much time will allow you to wander off your path and even lose interest.

STAGE 1: PLAN

Allow 8 to 12 weeks in order to plan your book thoroughly and do market research.?A 15-step Book Blueprint is the perfect solution.

STAGE 2: WRITE

Depending on your availability, allow from 6 weeks upwards to 26 weeks to write your book. Don’t allow yourself too long because you will lose your momentum, but be realistic. Ideas need time to seed and grow. Give yourself a deadline and identify how you will be most productive. Set aside regular time every day/weekend/week/month.?

STAGE 3: PUBLISH

Substantive edit: Allow at least 4-6 weeks for editing and changes – perhaps more, if there is a lot to be done to your manuscript to make it shine.?

Design:?

? Cover – Gather cover ideas as you write, and begin your cover design during the editing stage. Allow 4 weeks.?

? Pages – Allow 4 weeks for comfort and low stress while pages are designed, checked, updated, checked, updated some more, and proofread thoroughly (more than once).

Print: Allow 4 weeks from completion of book layout, which gives you time to check a print proof copy properly and make any more corrections, before approving a larger print run.?

Online distribution: Allow 2 weeks from final corrections to your print proof copy, to create your e-book files and upload them and print files to IngramSpark, for distribution to Amazon and other booksellers.

STAGE 4: LAUNCH & MARKET

Launch: Allow another two weeks after you receive your print books AND your books are available online to begin going public with a variety of launch or promotional events, both live and online.?

Market: This is an ongoing process over several years – not a crazy stressful rush in the first few months.

WHEN WILL YOU BEGIN WORK ON THE BOOK?

Looking at the information above, you will see that just the book production stage takes 3 to 4 months. The writing stage can be much longer or shorter.?

BONUS: Go to www.smartwomenpublish.com/extras to download and print out the ‘Book Deadlines’ template. You can add your dates to that and place it on the wall in front of your desk so you see them and feel accountable to it.?

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This is the fifth of a series of articles taken from the book , ‘Smart Women Publish – Write the book that expands your world’ by Bev Ryan. Each article in this series will present the key ideas in its 15 chapters, from what a book can do for you, through planning, writing, publishing and leveraging your published book.

Bev is a certified non-fiction book coach (including memoir with a message ) and book production manager , working with accomplished and interesting people as they write and self-publish their best non-fiction books. Contact Bev to find out how she can help you with your book.

Bev’s book, ‘Smart Women Publish’, is a how-to workbook, available here .

Access Bev's low-cost ‘workbook plus kick-starter coaching session’ here .