Many aspiring authors expect that it will only take a few weeks, or, max, a couple of months to get their book written, and then only a few weeks more to produce and print it. They’re excited about their topic and want to get it out ASAP. While I love that optimism, it’s unrealistic if you’re just getting started in planning out your book’s publication date.
Table of contents:
What’s important to consider is that the time required to write a book is only the first step in a three-step process that leads to you holding a printed book in your hand.
Publishing a well-written book that looks like a traditionally published title takes more time than most first-time authors expect. Although they’re frequently disappointed when they hear what typical timelines look like, after they understand the many steps involved in publishing a book, it becomes clear why churning out a book overnight is not advisable or possible.
Your three main publishing paths today are traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing or do-it-yourself (DIY). Here are common timelines for each publishing option:
Traditional Publishing
Many authors start the process of planning to write a book expecting to go with a traditional publisher. Traditional publishers include companies you’ve probably heard of, such as HarperCollins, McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons, and Random House, just to name a few.
Authors desire the prestige that traditional presses can provide as well as the possibility of a royalty advance. It’s understandable that those factors would be important, but few authors also realize the upfront work that is required to be even considered for a traditional publishing contract. In general, these steps are required for a traditional deal:
Find and secure a literary agent (3-12 months)
Depending on how well connected you are in the literary world, finding an agent can be fairly straightforward, especially with a referral from another author, or it can be a long, drawn-out process that takes a year or more. And not all authors are successful at interesting an agent, keep in mind.
Agents take 15% of all revenue that your book earns during its lifetime. For that commission, they will work as your sales representative. Their first task is sending out pitch letters to see which publishers might be interested in your project. Those who are interested then receive your full book proposal.
Craft a book proposal (3-9 months)
As soon as an agent expresses potential interest in representing your book, you’ll need to have a book proposal ready to share with them. Your proposal is an overview of the book’s content as well as information about you, why the book is timely, what other books are already out there on this topic, how you’ll market the book, and then a fleshed-out outline/table of contents and one or two sample chapters. Creating a solid proposal can take several months, even if you hire a ghostwriter to assist. The cost for proposal-writing services can range from $10,000 to $20,000 and up.
Pursuing a publisher (3-18 months)
Although your literary agent is now in charge of identifying potential publishers and then providing interested parties with copies of your book proposal, zeroing in on publishers who may be willing to offer a contract can also take many months. During that time, you’ll receive feedback that may lead you to tweak your existing proposal to better meet what they are looking for at the moment.
Writing and publishing (12-36 months)
With a signed publisher contract in hand, you’ll need to deliver your finished manuscript by the deadline they have set (generally with your input and agreement). You’ll need time to write and edit your manuscript, and once you hand it off to the publisher, it will be 12-18 months more, on average, for them to take care of all the production work. Their process is thorough, but it does take time.
A speedy traditional publishing process, including writing, is along the lines of two years.
Before you start planning out your publishing journey, assuming this is the way to go, realize that few traditional publishers will give contracts to first-time authors without a sizeable author platform. A platform consists of a large following of people who are interested in what you have to say on the topic you are associated with. Unless you have already been blogging and speaking about your book’s topic, it’s likely your platform is limited, and it may be a challenge to interest one of the big houses.
If you determine that you don’t have a large enough following or that you’re not interested in waiting years for your book to be published, the good news is that you do have alternatives. These include hybrid and self-publishing.
Hybrid Publishing
The big difference between traditional and hybrid publishing deals is that you pay for the production and printing of your book with a hybrid press; you do not with traditional publishers. However, hybrid publishers can work considerably faster than the bigger houses and you don’t need to pay for a book proposal in order to move forward.
The hybrid publishing process generally consists of the following:
Publisher discussions (Less than 1 month)
Hybrid publishers want to understand what your book is about, so they can assess how well it fits with their existing catalog of titles. Not all publishers produce, for example, children’s books or fiction, so you’ll want to identify potential publishing partners and then schedule meetings to discuss their process and fees. They will tell you quickly if your project is of interest.
Some of the leading hybrid publishers include Amplify Publishing Group, Greenleaf Book Group, Jenkins Group, and Page Two. Their fees can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $200,000, depending on the range of services you want.
Writing and publishing (6-18 months)
The production process at hybrid publishers can be expedited, but it will still take several months even at warp speed after you submit your finished manuscript. If your manuscript is already written, the fastest you can likely get it published is 6 months, although 9 to 12 is more realistic, depending on printer capacity.
If you take 6 months to write a book, it will be at least 6 more before your book is released.
Many entrepreneurs today are opting to go this route even when they could land traditional deals, for several reasons.
Speed is a huge factor, especially with innovative ideas and stories being told; obsolescence is a big concern.
Another factor is money. If you have a sizeable following, it’s possible that you can make more money per book by selling it yourself. However, you do have to decide if you want to be in the book fulfillment business.
Control is another element, because hybrid presses allow their clients to give considerable input on cover design, interior design, and cover price.
Hybrid publishers are often great choices for busy business leaders, but there is an added cost for the level of service they provide.
If you’re writing a book to be used as a brochure or lead magnet and you have more time than money to invest, another choice is self-publishing.
Self-Publishing
Although the terms “hybrid” and “self-publishing” are used interchangeably, they are different varieties of the same service. Self-publishing means that you will make all of the decisions, often with fewer options with respect to design. You’ll pay less and may be able to order books in very small quantities.
A timeline for self-publishing could look like this:
Publisher evaluation (Less than 1 month)
Self-publishers are typically at your service; many are considered print service providers. They are not evaluating you as much as you are evaluating them. If they have the capability to print what you need, they are happy to do it. Some presses can’t print in color, for example, or may not provide glossy covers, so you’ll want to check that they can do what you want print-wise.
You don’t need a proposal, though you may need to talk through the production specifications in order for these presses to give you a price quote.
Writing and publishing (6-12 months)
The process of writing your book will take the same time as any other option, and to that you’ll need time for quality control and production. Build in time for editing and proofreading, too, which your publisher may or may not provide, in addition to the design decisions. That can take 1-2 months after your book is written.
As you get into design decisions, you’ll be choosing covers, interior pages, and any charts or illustrations. Printing can take 2-3 months, on average, depending on the time of year.
One potential advantage of self-publishers like BookBaby (this is my affiliate link, which will earn me a couple bucks if you end up using them but does not increase your cost at all), for example, is that you can often order one book at a time, which allows you to carefully check the quality before you place a larger order.
Self-publishing can be quick, but the potential downsides are the quality. Since you’re limited in the design choices you can make, some books can end up looking more cookie-cutter or generic. A potential solution to this is to hire a graphic designer with book cover design experience to create your cover and upload it to the system rather than having the publisher do that work for you.
Investing in writing and publishing a book can have a major positive impact on your career and business, but it does take time to produce a quality book that enhances your reputation.