The Complete Timeline for Writing and Publishing Your First Book
If you write a book and no one reads it, did the book ever exist? Okay, that might be a little extreme, but many writers share a goal: to get published. While writing a book is a journey in itself, there comes a time when every author asks, “How do I publish my book?”
Every successful book journey extends beyond the manuscript and requires strategic planning across three key areas: revision, publishing, and marketing. By understanding the publishing landscape and timelines, you can confidently map your path to checking off “published author” from your life bingo card. This guide will outline the paths to publishing and answer your questions about how to get a book published.
Key Takeaways:
There are many paths to publishing a book, it’s all about determining your goals, budget, and timeline to choose the right path for you.
There are many pros and cons to traditional publishing, self-publishing, and hybrid publishing.
Phase 1: Writing and Revising Your Manuscript
This phase is all about the writing process. You’re showing up, adding words to the page, and working toward that completed manuscript.
Drafting Your Manuscript (3-12+ months): Obviously, you’ve got to write a book in order to publish it. :) Set aside regular time to write, whether that’s a few hours each day or dedicated weekends. Check out this blog for tips on creating a writing practice.
First Revision (1-3 months): After completing your first draft, let it rest for a few weeks. Then dive into self-editing, focusing on structure, pacing, and character development.
Beta Readers and Feedback (1-2 months): Share your manuscript with trusted beta readers for honest feedback. A writing critique group may also be helpful at this stage. Remember when selecting individuals such as beta readers to provide feedback, ensure they understand the genre you are writing so their feedback is meaningful and not random.
Professional Editing (1-4 months): Hire a developmental editor, copyeditor, or proofreader to polish your manuscript. Costs vary depending on the editor’s experience, manuscript length, and how many editors you engage with, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.
Phase 2: Choosing Your Path to Publication
There are many paths to publishing your book. Once upon a time, traditional publishing was the only way to get your manuscript published. Thankfully, we live in a digital age where indie authors can create their own path to publishing through self-publishing, for example. Let’s take a closer look at each publishing path, and the pros and cons of each so you can make the best decision for you based on your goals.
Traditional Publishing
This path involves pitching your book to literary agents or publishers and allowing a longer timeline to bring your book to market.
Querying Agents (3-12+ months): This is the first step on the traditional publishing path. Write a compelling query letter and research agents who represent your genre. It may take several months (or rounds of submissions) to secure representation. This is where a lot of authors stop because rejection is a part of the process. Be patient, be consistent, and take a break if you need to. Your book holds value, don’t forget that even when rejection feels endless.
Publisher Submission (6-12 months): Once you have an agent, they will submit your manuscript to publishers. This is a time when patience will also be needed to allow your agent to represent you and find the right publisher for your book. This is a great time to start writing a new book and/or working on what marketing you can do to help build anticipation for your book release.
Production Timeline (12-24 months): After a publisher accepts your book, publishers handle editing, cover design, and production. Marketing support can vary, so starting to build your author platform and marketing efforts before your book's release is a valuable investment of your time.
Cost to Traditional Publishing: Minimal upfront costs. Agents typically take a 15% commission on earnings, and publishers may offer an advance ($1,000-$100,000+).
Pros:
Professional editing, design, and marketing support.
Access to wide distribution networks. Hello, bookstores!
Prestige and credibility.
Cons:
Long timelines (2-3 years or more).
Limited creative control.
Lower royalties (5-15%).
Self-Publishing
Self-publishing is another path for publishing your book. This path offers full creative control and allows you to bring your book to market quickly. Once you have written the book, there are a number of steps to take in order to see your book come to life.
Production Timeline (2-5 months): You’ll need to hire professionals for editing, such as developmental, copy, and line editing. You may also choose to have beta readers provide feedback as well.
Book Design: Creating the cover design and formatting the interior of your book are critical steps for publishing platforms to accept your book. While tools like Canva offer templates, you often don’t retain the copyright to designs made on these platforms. This is why working with a graphic designer who specializes in book cover design is most helpful. For formatting, many authors will do this themselves using Atticus which does come with additional cost.
Publishing Platforms: Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark, or similar platforms. Within this step, you’ll also need to file for copyright protection and ISBN. All books are required to be categorized using the ISBN number.
Book Marketing: The responsibility of marketing falls 100% on the author on the self-publishing path. Because of this, it is helpful to create a marketing plan that starts prior to your book launching to help build momentum.
Cost of Self-Publishing: $3,000-$12,000+ for editing, design, and marketing. Print-on-demand costs apply per copy.
Pros:
Full creative and timeline control.
Higher royalties (35-70%).
Direct connection to your audience.
Cons:
Upfront financial investment.
Requires self-marketing.
Learning curve for publishing tools.
Fewer distribution channels.
Hybrid Publishing
This path to publishing combines aspects of both traditional and self-publishing. This is a great path for many authors, including non-fiction writers. What makes this path unique is that while it shares some of the upfront costs of self-publishing, it combines the team support and distribution channels of traditional publishing.
Collaboration with a Hybrid Publisher: Writers pay for some services (book coaching, editing, and design) and receive professional support from their expert team.
More Creative Control: Authors who work with a hybrid publisher have more creative control over the final edits made to their manuscript as well as more input when it comes to cover design than working with a traditional publisher.
Production Timeline (6-12 months): Faster than traditional publishing but slower than self-publishing.
Cost: $5,000-$20,000 upfront, depending on the package.
Pros:
Professional services with more control than traditional publishing.
Access to distribution channels.
Retain higher royalties compared to traditional publishing.
Cons:
High upfront costs.
Varies in expertise (research hybrid publishers to ensure they publish books in your genre).
Marketing support can be limited and authors often need to play a big role in marketing their book.
Phase 3: Marketing Your Book
Regardless of your publishing path, marketing is essential and the responsibility of marketing a book is falling more and more to the author. That’s why the key is to start building your audience early!
Here are a few things to focus on and tap into even as you are still writing your book:
Build an Author Platform (Ongoing): Create a website, grow your email list, and engage on social media.
Pre-Launch Marketing (6-12 months before launch):
Host cover reveals and share behind-the-scenes content.
Network with book bloggers and reviewers.
Launch Strategy (1-3 months): Plan a book launch event, run ads, and seek media coverage.
Post-Launch Marketing (Ongoing): Keep engaging readers through newsletters, events, and promotions.
Costs: Marketing budgets vary widely but can range from $500 for basic ads to $10,000+ for comprehensive campaigns.
Planning Tools and Exercises
To help you navigate your publishing journey, use these exercises to clarify your goals and next steps:
Explore Publishing Paths: Create a pros and cons list for each option. Think about your timeline, budget, and long-term goals.
Set Realistic Goals: Identify your top priorities (e.g., creative control, wide distribution, or prestige) and align them with your chosen publishing path.
Create an Actionable Plan: Break each phase into smaller steps with deadlines. Use tools like a writing tracker or project management app to stay on track.
The journey to writing and publishing your first book is both thrilling and challenging. By understanding the timeline and costs associated with each path, you can choose the route that best fits your goals and vision. Whether you dream of seeing your book on bookstore shelves or connecting directly with readers, the key is to stay persistent and enjoy the process.
Your story matters—and the world is waiting to read it. If you're wondering how to publish a book or how to get a book published, this guide is your roadmap to success.
Want a hands-on workbook to plan your editing, publishing, and marketing plans? Get your copy of the Idea to Manuscript Workbook on Amazon. This is your step-by-step guide to writing and completing your book.
