How long will it all take

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How long will it all take

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How long will it all take?

Not surprisingly, there is no simple answer to the question. One book took almost a year, another was designed and printed in three weeks. It is sensible to allow at least three months.

These are some of the steps along the way which might help you to assess how long it might for the whole process of producing your book. This is why it normally takes over a year to write, and about six months to publish a book.

STAGE ONE

Writing

Most of those writing fiction report that the first draft is completed within a year. But then come all the rewrites!

	If you spend too long on the writing you might, quite literally, lose the plot. But there are many exceptions.
	Non-fiction can take longer, especially when it is based on research or investigation.

At this early stage you need to start thinking about your market. It might even help your writing if you can visualise your readers.

So give yourself at least a year.

Editorial stage - Part 1

	You need criticism, as well as encouragement.
	This can be tough but we look for professional help in almost every other activity, so why not with your writing?
	WritersServices offers a simple Reader's report or an Editor's report. There is no need to wait until the book is fully polished before getting a report.
	Every piece of work needs some re-working. It takes courage to do a re-write but there is a risk that you will end up with a patchwork if you don't.
	Writers report that this is best done as one big project, not in disjointed evenings and weekends.

So allow yourself a solid block of time, probably several weeks, or accept that it is going to take several months of evenings and weekends.

Editorial stage - Part 2

	Your manuscript is compete but now it needs polishing. Copy editing will make sure that spelling, grammar and proper names are correct and consistent.
	To tackle this task yourself, put the manuscript away for some weeks so that you will come to it with fresh eyes. WritersServices have a copy editing service if you need professional help. Reading aloud also helps to spot errors and can also highlight places where the style is clumsy.
	Think about preparing a style sheet and check your text against it.
	You need to think about those useful preliminaries such as a contents page at this stage. Does it need a foreword? What about an index?

So allow yourself 4 - 8 weeks depending on who is undertaking the work. Then you will need to allow time to check the changes.

STAGE TWO

Getting published

If you are going to look for a publisher you want to make sure the package you send does your hard work justice. WritersServices offers a submission critique service where an editor comments on the letter and material you plan to send.

	If it is non-fiction you might be talking to a publisher already and they will be setting the pace.
	Fiction is hard to sell direct to publishers so think about finding an agent who will present it for you.

So, allow plenty of time. Agents and publishers can take several months to respond. Be prepared to contact several, but you normally have to do this only when one has turned you down. It will save weeks or months if you check that they are looking for your sort of work - You really need to study the market carefully. In the meantime, don't stop writing as many 'first novels' are actually the writer's second attempt.

OR

Publishing yourself

	There are many reasons for publishing yourself. Is Self-publishing for you?
	The WritersPrintShop offers a flexible alternative which can deliver copies to you in any quantity or make them available through the normal bookshops and online retailers.

Printing - What takes the time?

Converting your text into a book requires it to pass through many processes and design cycles. It calls on the skills of several specialists and these have to be carefully choreographed. If you have decided to do all the design yourself you can skip most of this! This is how we do it at WPS and the process is the same regardless of who you use.

The text needs to be prepared for the designer.

	It will help if you produce a design brief.
	We need a clean script to work with - You will save months (and money) if you make sure you have got the correct words in the right order before it is all set out on a page.

Increasingly writers ask for their work to be copy-edited before it is typeset. If you give the designer messy text it will dramatically slow the project and cost more money.

Sometimes it can take a month or more to get the text checked and in the right form for the designer if the layout is complex, but do not rush this stage.

You need to inspect and approve the page look. This could go through several cycles but we have some excellent designers so we normally get it right first time.

If you need an index then you need to book an indexer. If you do it yourself, allow at least a month.

The cover has to be prepared and approved by you.

	The cover is so important that you must prepare a cover design brief.
	You can look at the sample covers to inspire you.

The look and feel of the cover is important and it can take a few attempts to get it right for you.

Along with the main text there are many other details that are required, including any dedication, acknowledgments and much else. There is often a hold-up at this stage while we wait for the material.

And you need to bear in mind that lots of other books are flowing through the WPS system, so it is common to find that it takes a few days before the studio can work on your book. Every physical book has its own personality and this emerges during the design process.

Once we have the designs we can draw up a contract.

	We need the book's format and page count to calculate the production cost.
	Each contract is different and depends on the marketing support planned.

While the contract is signed, the design is finalised. If the writer requested a lot of changes then there is another set of proofs to check. This typically takes 3-6 weeks. SO....

It is very important that the page-proofs are carefully checked. Give yourself as long as it takes to proof read the book. In spite of all your efforts, and the work of any copy-editor, you will still find errors.

Once the material is ready, it has to be converted into special files for submission to the printer. This can take a week or two but depends on the workload at the printer.

	The printer has to check the files which are submitted electronically.
	The printer then has to make up their digital 'printing plates'.

We then ask for a printed proof to check that everything looks right. This copy goes through 3 stages of inspection before it goes to the writer.

	If the printed proof has to be corrected, the pages might have to be remade if the changes are significant. You will probably be charged for any changes you make at this stage.
	In the build-up to some holidays, printers can be very busy so there are few gaps to run off a set of proofs. It is impossible to fit in proof printing in November or December.

Happily, most first-time proofs are approved. The book can be 'published' as soon as the writer gives their approval.

	It takes 2 to 8 weeks for the retail chain to get the message about a new book through the bookdata system.
	We have known books to be available through our partner Amazon within 24 hours but it can take 3 weeks. With some books we make it available before it is actually approved.
	One of the joys of the 'Print on Demand' system is that changes can be made for a modest cost to produce an updated or corrected edition for guide books and similar. The 'perfect' can be then enemy of the 'good' -It is possible to make changes later.

In theory, a book can slip through the system in less than a month. However, the majority of books will take 2-6 months to publish, half of which will be time taken by you to check the text. It is a big mistake to rush the process, as this can lead to enormous disappointment for the writer but we have managed to put a few books through all their stages in under 4 weeks - but don't plan on this.

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