How Long Is It Going to Take to Write That Book?

It takes a lot to write a book. It’s the very definition of “labor of love.”

If you break down the amount of hours you are going to spend on your book versus the amount of money you are likely to make off it, chances are you’re not even going to be making minimum wage. But if you’re patient, you might end up with a really terrific book that you can be proud of and even use to promote your “real” business—whatever that happens to be.

Here is how the book-writing process generally goes, best-case scenario:

1. You come up with a brilliant, earth-moving idea.
2. You drop everything and furiously write three-quarters of a draft.
3. You get writer’s block and don’t touch it for 9-36 months.
4. A sense of guilt, or possible pride, forces you to finally finish it, half-heartedly.

This is when the editing process begins. You ready?

1

You edit your own book. Seriously, you are so sick of this book! But you still have to take the time to read through it—preferably slowly, out loud, and on paper—and make sure that your ideas are holding together and there aren’t any gaping holes or egregious errors.

2

You ask a few really generous friends to read your book. If you’re lucky, one or two might actually make some time for this.

3

You take their feedback to heart and make some changes. You might get conflicting feedback on your book. This is where you have to listen to your own best judgment and remember that it’s all subjective. Of course, if you get the same feedback from more than one person, it’s worth listening to.

4

You hire an editor. It’s definitely a good idea to shop around. You want to find an editor who gets you. You also want to find an editor you can afford. See my last post on the different types of editors and how much they typically cost.

5

The editor redlines a copy of your book. With a critical eye, she will tell you what you need to work on. She may also proof the book as she goes. Regardless, this isn’t the last time she’ll touch your book. Typically, when working with an author, I go through the entire book a minimum of three times.

6

You make changes again. At this point, you really hate this book.

7

The editor proofs it. This back and forth might take some time. The editor should be the last person to touch your book. Don’t trust yourself to make even tiny little adjustments once the editor has signed off on a “final” draft. You’re too close to this book. Inserting a typo into it at this point would be a travesty!

And then you begin the long road of pitching your book to agents and publishers. Of course, you may decide to self-publish. Lots of people are doing it these days, and it’s a good idea for many reasons, which I will get into in one of my very next posts.