To create a well-structured book, you need to be a well-structured author. Almost every new author is surprised by how many little things have to get done in order to write and publish a book. The idea that writing a book just means sitting at your laptop and punching away at the keyboard until a manuscript comes falling out is pure fantasy. There is a lot of other work that requires just as much attention to detail as the words you use in your writing. Many large publishers and experienced authors break each facet of a new book into separate timetables. You can make certain your project will move along swiftly by adhering to the time allotted to each of the major phases in your book’s production.

Here are six major phases of book production. Each phase can be broken down into many smaller subcategories. But consider each of these larger phases when building a timetable for completing your manuscript.

1. Research. Roll up your sleeves and dig in. You can continue to research until the day your book goes to the printer, but the bulk of your information gathering should be done before you begin writing in depth. The amount of time you dedicate to research is entirely up to you and the needs of your book, but you should expect to spend at least as much time gathering information as you do writing. Most professional books require at least four to six weeks worth of research.

1. Writing. One of the biggest mistakes a writer can make is falling too far behind schedule. If you’ve done the proper amount of research, your writing will basically consist of filtering the information you’ve gathered into the chapters you’ve outlined. Many writers fall into the trap of just sitting down and thinking their imagination will churn out a book. But you will have no trouble meeting your deadlines if you’ve done your homework. Writing could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few years depending upon the project and your available time to complete it.

1. Editing. Every professional book goes through two stages of editing, copyediting and proofreading. Copyediting consists of examining for grammatical and spelling mistakes as well as factual errors. Proofreading means to check the actual proofs of the book after the printer creates them. It entails making certain word breaks are correct and verifying that all editorial changes have been made. Allow yourself at least a few weeks for editing whether you do it yourself or higher a professional.

1. Layout and Design. Your book should look professional. You might be able to save some time and money if you are able to design your own book using computer programs like Quark or Adobe InDesign. However, you should consider hiring a professional designer if you can afford it, especially regarding the cover of the book. Most designers can complete these types of projects in two to four weeks depending on the size of the book and the details of the design.

1. Printing. Unless you own a printing press or know someone who does, you will not be printing your own book. Most digital printers take only a mater of days to start manufacturing your book. Different offset printers will require various lengths of times to print your book. If you decide to use an offset printer, which is likely to give you better print quality, you can expect at least six to eight weeks for the order to be completed.


2. Marketing/Sales. Your sales and marketing timetable is the easiest one to set. It begins right now and ends the day you no longer want to make money from your book. The main things to include in your marketing timetable are plenty of reminders that your marketing effort will get stale if you don’t take time to update your Website, change your fliers and spread the word about your book as much as possible. Try not to let a week go by without updating your marketing strategy.