Most first-time authors, heck, even seasoned authors, can have a hard time creating a timeline that is realistic for their book.
It's easy to say you want to publish by X date, but what does that mean?
What all goes into writing, editing, publishing?
This blog will be lengthy, so feel free to skip to what you need. But I wanted to make sure I created a comprehensive resource for authors.
If you're looking for a quick timeline, fill out our Publishing Timeline Calculator. This will give you a rough timeline estimate.
Why Timelines Feel Confusing
Have you ever created a timeline before, did the work, and still missed it? There could be a few reasons. Maybe your calculations weren't accurate, maybe life hit a little too hard and there was no buffer time, maybe you didn't plan everything out.
Mind you, you don't need to plan everything out. You can just plan on the writing portion, allowing everything else to come as it does. Which can be the most beneficial for new authors when you're just diving into the scene. Sometimes you don't know what you want in a release. You don't know ARC readers or how to create a platform. You might not be sure whether you want a developmental editor or just a proofreader.
There are so many factors, and we might not touch on all of them, but I want to give it my best shot.
With timelines, there are so many paths. It can sometimes feel overwhelming, and therefore we skip steps. Sometimes it's okay to skip those steps. Other times, it has us back tracking and adds more work to our plate.
It's plausible we also take advice from people and we don't even know their life situation.
Maybe your favorite author writes and publishes 3 books a year, and you think you can do that right off the bat. But maybe you aren't considering that it could be their full-time job, maybe they don't have kids, or a partner, maybe if they have kids they have full-time, consistent childcare.
Maybe they don't watch TV or scroll on their phone or do anything that doesn't require writing.
Maybe their stamina is different from yours (this doesn't mean it's better or worse, but individual mental energy contributes a lot).
Maybe they have accountability partners or editors.
The list can go on and on. But without considering these factors compared to our own life, it can set us up for failure.
And there is nothing more damaging than having a dream, being excited, and then getting discouraged faster than you can begin.
So let's set you up for success.
The Core Formula
If you're dedicated to a timeline, it's crucial you figure out the actual amount of time it takes you to complete things with factors you can control.
In this section, we'll discuss:
Writing Draft
Revision Time
Editing & Production
Buffer
This all equals your real timeline.
Writing Your Draft
Take a few days/weeks to calculate how often you write in your natural routine, or in a routine you'd like to create.
Track how many words you can write in an hour
How many hours you can write in a day
How many days you can write a week
Take the words an hour and add them to every hour you can write to get your daily word count
500 words an hour + two hours a day = 1,000 words/day
Take words a day and multiply by how many days a week
1,000 words/day x 4 days a week = 4,000 words a week
Estimate how many words you want your book to be.
If you're unsure, check this resource for average word counts for your specific genre.
Take estimated word count total and divide by words a week to see how many weeks it'll take to write your book.
80,000 words divided by 4,000 words a week = 20 weeks (5 months)
Now that you have how many weeks/months it'll take to write your draft, take note whether you think this is sustainable or if you feel like you're pressuring yourself to write more words and more days than you're used to.
If you're pressuring yourself, this will likely lead to burnout, which will lead you to slow your pace and/or not continue the book.
Remember: Writing is a marathon, not a race.
Just because someone published a book and you're feeling like you're not working fast enough does not mean there isn't space for you to publish and for you to find readers.
Revision Time
This is the place that most writers I've encountered mess up their timeline. It's easier to write a draft than it is to perfect the details.
On average (from my experience with my clients), it can take 1.5 - 3 months for one round of revisions. This is usually developmental edits. The revision time can go down as you focus less on developing the story and more on the grammar and punctuation.
I recommend at least three rounds of revising if you're not working with an editor. Ideally, more like 4-5 rounds.
My recommendations:
Write your draft (minor edits as you write)
Read your draft fully, take notes on what you need to revise
Figure out a plan to dive into
Revision 1 - Developmental Edits (1.5 - 3 months)
Once complete, read through book again.
Revision 2 - Fix any other developmental issues
Take a break from the book (I recommend at least 1 - 2 weeks. Consume other media.)
This is the best time to get beta readers. It gives you a break, plus new perspective on your book.
Revision 3 - Line edits (1 - 2 months)
Sentence structure, repetitive words, repetitive phrases. I recommend reading out loud if you're doing the line edits. This is where massive cuts could happen.)
Possibly read through your book again. Add any other developmental things, additional line edit tweaks.
Revision 4/5 - Proofread (1 month)
The best way to calculate this for yourself would be to actually time yourself doing revisions. This would require you to write a book and revise a book with no timeline to then help set you up for the next book.
However, if you don't want to do that, start by asking this question:
Do I want to work with an editor or do it all myself?
This can shift timelines.
If you work with an editor, you are more often working within their timeline (to a degree). It requires you to reach out and see what their calendar looks like too.
If you know from the beginning you want an editor, start researching editors and communicating with them. You can use this as a way to keep you on schedule with writing your draft.
If you don't want to work with an editor, or maybe just a proofreader, then be honest with yourself on your scheduling.
It's better to overestimate timeframes.
To figure out Revision Time, ask yourself:
After writing my draft, what time does that bring me to?
How often do I think I can reread my book before I am bored or hate it?
This is crucial, and one of the biggest benefits of having an editor. Most authors hit a point where they've read their draft too many times that they can't tell whether it's good or not anymore. They hate it, self-doubt creeps in, it becomes harder to finish the goal. This is when breaks and buffer time become crucial.
What obligations do I have over the next few of months?
work (stress, energy levels, promotions?)
holidays, birthdays, vacations
loss of childcare, pregnancy, other life-changing events
Do I want to use beta readers?
If yes, add about 2-4 weeks for feedback turnaround.
How committed am I when I make a goal?
If life happens, will I work harder the next day to stay on track?
Or do I allow myself space to breath and understand that sometimes goals have to be pushed?
If extra space, add in about a month to the overall timeline.
If I use an editor, what is their calendar like?
Developmental edits: Average 4-week turnaround for editor. 5 - 8-week turnaround for authors revising.
Line edits: Average 3 - 4-week turnaround for editor. 4-week turnaround for authors revising.
Proofread: Average 2 - 3-week turnaround for editor. 1-week turnaround for authors approving changes.
How much time a day do I realistically have to put toward this?
Best strategy is to maintain your revising during the time period you already had for writing. Keeps consistency and a schedule that could help you prepare for future releases.
What is my plan for cover design?
Design myself, hire a designer for custom cover, or purchase premade cover?
Then take the answers to these questions, compile it with the average revision time, and create a schedule for yourself.
You're looking at anywhere between 4 - 8 months for revisions.
Publishing Timeline
This portion gets a little more tricky. It's hard to truly know what you want out of a release until you're really in it for the very first time. Big releases can require knowing people within the writing community, potentially spending more money on advertisements, PR package items, ARC readers programs, etc.
I do think it's a good idea for all authors to research releases, talk to other writers, and see all the options that are available to them, but if it's your first book, I recommend keeping it simple. You can add all the bells and whistles later, but dip your toes in first so you don't overwhelm yourself.
In the publishing calculator, I categorized 3 different levels of publishing:
Just publish
Add 2 months to overall timeframe
Requires:
Formatting (1-4 weeks depending on program used, if you hire out, learning curve)
Uploading to Print on Demand
KDP
IngramSpark - 5-8 days to approve eproof
Purchasing physical proof to review (1 week shipping (from Amazon USA), 1 week to review)
Publish
KDP - 24 - 72 hours to approve publishing
IngramSpark - 24 - 48 hours after eproof is approved
ARC readers & Preorder
Add 2 - 4 months to overall timeframe
Extra time added here in case you have to find ARC readers, or any other delays
Some of timeline overlaps with "Just Publish"
Formatting and uploading should happen before preorder & ARC readers (2 - 5 weeks)
Ordering proofs can happen at the same time as preorders and ARC readers
Preorder
At least 1 - 2 weeks before launch
If new author, do not schedule preorder before proofreading is complete. Amazon will penalize you if you miss your deadline.
ARC readers
Ideally 30 days (4 weeks) before publication
Big Launch: ARC readers, Preorder, PR Packages, etc.
Add at least 4 - 5 months to overall timeline
This takes more planning.
For PR packages, you need to:
Find PR people to send packages to
Figure out what you want to send in packages
Find designer and book, or learn to design yourself
Figure out platforms to print and get items shipped to you
Get books sent to you
Put packages together and ship them out, ideally 1 - 2 weeks before release.
Getting books sent to you before release takes preparation. You want your book finished and on the platform (including proofs approved) before ordering books for PR packages (Start 2 months before release)
Finding a designer could take time, as well as booking them.
Keep in mind, many things for publication can happen simultaneously to revising your book. This is when planning and hiring out for specific services come in handy.
If your book is with an editor, that opens up time for you to research next steps of publishing.
If you are revising everything yourself and you want a big release, easily add on an additional 2 - 3 months to accommodate finding people, designers, shipping times, your own creative burnout.
Are you still with me?
If so, take a deep breathe. It's all a lot. I know. But working through the process and coming up with a plan is truly setting you up for success. It'll be easier in the long run. None of this is impossible. AND not all has to be done at once. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement and wanting it all immediately.
PR packages can be done after release. You can always celebrate the book, whenever you want after it's released. You don't have to wait for book birthdays or anniversaries.
Like I said: It's a marathon. Not a race.
If you're sitting here thinking that my timelines are way off and you can do all this in a faster time, it's plausible you can. However, I am estimating off of the clients I've worked with, what I've researched, what I've see work and fail in writing groups. It's not impossible to write 4 - 5 books a year, nor is it bad to write 1 book in 2 - 3 years.
It just depends on what is important to you, and what you're willing to do to achieve the goal.
Writing Math Examples
Test out different word counts per day, how many days a week you write, to figure out what goal works best for you.
60k vs 90k
300 words/day vs 800 words/day
3 days/week vs 7 days/week
This is where my publishing calculator comes in handy. It helps do the math for you. It isn't perfect. It is based on estimations, but it allows you to see 200 words/day, 5 days/week vs 800 words a day, 2 days/week.
For example, let's take an 80,000 book (average)
300 words/day for 3 days = 900 words/week
80,000 word book divided by 900 words/week = 88.8 weeks or 22.2 months (2 years)
COMPARED TO
300 words/day for 5 days = 1,500 words/week
80,000 word book divided by 1,500 words/week = 53.3 weeks or 13.3 months (1 year)
Just adding 2 more days of writing reduces 9 months from your timeline.
Let's try another:
700 words/day for 3 days = 2,100 words/week
80,000 word book divided by 2,100 words/week = 38 weeks or 9.5 months
COMPARED TO
700 words/day for 5 days = 3,500 words/week
80,000 word book divided by 3,500 words/week = 22 weeks or 5.7 months
When you start to calculate it all out, it truly puts work and time into perspective. And with perspective, you can create smarter goals.
Editor vs No Editor
I will never recommend no editor at all. I think every book needs at least a proofread. Especially because authors are often burned out by that point and have read their novel one too many times that finding grammar and punctuation mistakes (even if they know them) is incredibly difficult.
However, I understand that editing costs money and it is hard to pay for all editing services. Even just one. So I want to give you the resources to evaluate cost vs time vs benefit for your own situation.
Hiring an editor can help reduce time. This is because you're working with a professional who knows immediately what to look out for, they are looking at your book with fresh eyes, and they already have a consistency they are used to with editing.
This also gives you a break, which is very much needed in the creative process, allowing you to dive into revisions with a clearer mind. Writing, editing, revising back to back allows drafts to mesh into your head, causing confusion on what's been kept, and makes it easier to make mistakes when you think something has happened because it's in your head but you've never written it down.
Hiring an editor also allows for a fresh take on your writing style and technique. You might not know you overuse similes, what repetitive words you fall back on, if your sentences are too long or too short.
This last one is definitely a preference for reader, but the first two, you definitely want to be cautious of.
Hiring an editor does require you to take in criticism and feedback. However, this is great practice for looking at reviews. Readers can be ruthless. They often don't have filters. Your editor likely will give constructive criticism, and also should be able to tell you your strengths.
Hiring an editor can help keep you motivated and consistent. If you schedule all the services out, even just one, it requires you to stay on deadline to avoid losing your spot, possibly getting charged a fee, or even feeling like you've disappointed the editor.
Note: An editor should understand things come up and they should never be disappointed in you for missing a deadline. But if you do think you'll miss a deadline, please communicate with your editor. Most do this for a living and loss of a service means loss of income. The more time you can give them to fill your spot, the better.
Not hiring an editor could make it more difficult to see your book from a reader's perspective. To understand what's missing. Or even know how to fix any plot holes.
Not hiring an editor could create burnout. Reading your book one too many times could have you hating the book because it's become boring, which could result in you not completing the book at all.
If you don't hire an editor, I highly recommend getting beta readers, and even putting money out for alpha readers. An alpha reader is below a developmental editor, where they look at big picture. They aren't usually giving chapter by chapter feedback, but can provide enough information for you to dive into your revisions.
However, beta readers are essential. Having other people reader your book and give feedback before it enters the masses is helping make sure you start your release off successfully.
If you don't hire a line editor or a proofreader, use tools like ProWriting Aid, have your document read your book to you, read the book on a different device (sometimes a change of scenery or format helps), and/or read your book out loud. All these will help you catch things you likely wouldn't have on your own.
Often, if you hire an editor, there could be group discounts on multiple services. You might be able to have a payment plan, which can help divide the lump sum into something more manageable.
Depending on your own skill or craft, you possibly could trade services with another creator if they can edit, and maybe you can design or do social media for them.
Self-Publishing is all about weighing the pros and cons.
You have control over everything, yet sometimes that's the hardest. Figure out what you can do. What you can hire out. What is the most manageable for you.
All of this factors into your timeline.
Why Buffers Matter
Do you have what it takes?
If you've made it this far, I think you're absolutely ready to dive into this adventure!
Start your timeline by getting a general outline with the Publishing Timeline Calculator I created. Then customize it to your own schedule, responsibilities, and buffer time.
If you'd like more assistance with this process:
Schedule a free consult today.
We can discuss editing services, book timelines, self-publishing packages
If you need accountability in writing your first draft, Book Coaching can be a phenomenal service.
If you're interested in help with the self-publishing process, look into our self-publishing packages.
These also provide discounts on editing services. Save money in your bank and keep motivated with a timeline.
I believe in you! You've got this.