Understanding Publishing’s Book Timeline
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
The journey from writing a book to publishing and promoting it seems overwhelming, confusing, and frustrating to many aspiring writers. This is why I’ve created this article to guide you through what a book timeline looks like. I’ll cover the life cycle of writing and publishing your book, the book timeline of the publishing process, and a sample book timeline for book promotion. All books are different, of course, which is why I’ll also discuss how traditionally published books differ from self-published books in terms of book timeline. Let’s dig in.
The Life Cycle of Writing and Publishing a Book
The first step in any book timeline is writing the book itself. This process begins with the idea for a book. Once you have the idea, you move to the writing stage, where you create a book outline and start drafting. After completing the manuscript, you’ll take it through several rounds of editing and proofreading, getting beta readers and critique partners involved (or maybe even a freelance editor) and revising accordingly. When you have a polished manuscript in hand, the next step is querying agents or publishers (for the traditional publishing route). If you get representation from a literary agent, it could take months or years to sell your project to a publisher. You could also self-publish at this stage if you want to go directly to your readership.
Book Timeline During Publication
Once you have submitted your manuscript, the timeline for publishing varies depending on whether you’re doing a traditional publishing process or going the self-publishing route. If you get a book deal, the project could take another year to go through the editing and publishing process, but you have the advantage of working with publishing professionals on the various functions (production, design, distribution to bookstores and libraries, and book marketing). On the other hand, self-publishing allows you to publish your book at your own pace and have complete control over the process, from editing to cover design and pricing. The production process could take a few weeks to a few months, depending on how complete your manuscript is going into it.
Book Timeline for Promotion
Book promotion strategies should ideally kick into gear before publication—with the work beginning at least six months out. Many aspiring writers don’t want to hear it, but they will largely be responsible for book marketing (though a traditional publisher should be able to provide some guidance and support, the bulk of the work falls to the author). Creating a book timeline for promotion is crucial to keeping track of your progress toward publication. It is essential to start promoting your book before its release date to build anticipation. You could start with creating a book landing page and creating a pre-order link, then trying to get book reviews. Start sending out digital or physical advanced copies to reviewers and setting up book tours to create buzz around your book as soon as these resources are available. Until they are, you can be finding influencers and doing research. Once the book is launched, you will continue promoting through social media, book signings, podcasts, interviews, and paid advertising (if you have a book marketing budget available).
Understanding this book timeline overview is important as you approach the publishing industry. Whether you choose traditional publishing or self-publishing, it's essential to keep in mind that every book has a unique book timeline, and this knowledge can help you find your place in the market.
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