How Long Does It Take to Write a Book?

Photo by @jfdelp at Unsplash

When I start working with a new client, one of my first questions is: If you’re still writing this book in a few years, will it be worth it?

Most people will say yes, but it always comes with another statement about how they hope they’re published and working on their second book by then. Publishing alone can take a couple of years, but the writing of a book depends on the writer.

So, how long does it take to write a book? Ask yourself these questions first, and you’ll have a better idea of what your timeline will be.

How Much Time Do You Have to Write?

Most writers believe they can crank out consistent pages because writing comes a bit easier to them, but if you don’t have dedicated time to write, you won’t have a book. You have to approach your book writing as a priority, something you’re not just doing on the side. The more time you have to write, the more the inspiration will hit you — it won’t find you just sitting around.

As Steven King said in On Writing: A Memoir on Craft: Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work. 

If you have 8 hours a week to write and find you write about 250 words an hour, you’ll have 2,000 words a week and 52,000 words in 6 months. Writing a novel or memoir? The minimum word count for those start at 60,000 words at the very least — not counting revisions.

What Kind of Research Do You Need to Do?

There’s research to be done for every book. It could be fact-checking a town’s local history or the weather patterns in a particular part of the world. You may even need to dig into the nitty-gritty of your main character’s chosen profession. Those details will make your story pop and give you more authority among your readers.

This could mean conducting interviews, reading books or watching documentaries. It also means you need time for it. 

Often, a writer will become stalled in producing pages because they haven’t done enough research up front. Some information will be uncovered as you go, but account for some of your dedicated writing time to research, so you’re not overwhelmed with what to write next.

Who’s Your Support System?

Even if you begin writing on your own, there will be a point when you don't know the best next step for your story. You might complete a manuscript and then need someone to evaluate it. Or you might be part of a writing group, but decide to work one on one with a coach to get more focused attention.

It’s not enough to just write a book, especially if you want to have it published. You need a book people will want to read, and when you’re working alone, there are so many details you’ll miss. Having a support system for your writing will help you keep at it and not to write 500 pages just to get to the point of your story.

Know It’s a Long Haul

Now that you have a framework to use for your writing process, you can start to piece together realistic expectations for your own book. It also isn’t an exact science. Life happens! You could have all the time in the world to write now, and in six months, you could find you’re lucky to get a couple hours a week. 
Be gentle with yourself and heed the wise words of Steven Pressfield from The War of Art:

The professional arms himself with patience, not only to give the stars time to align in his career, but to keep himself from flaming out in each individual work. He knows that any job, whether it’s a novel or a kitchen remodel, takes twice as long as he thinks and costs twice as much. . . [he] steels himself at the start of a project, reminding himself it is the Iditarod, not the sixty-yard dash. He conserves his energy. He prepares his mind for the long haul.