Book Schedule: Are You Allowing Enough Time? How to Figure Out Your Timeline…

Time. There it is. Everything needs time, it doesn’t just happen over night. Start with your preferred date of release and work backwards through what needs to be done.

Your list will look something like this:

  1. Release Date: the day your book is for sale
  2. Shipping: allow at least 2 weeks depending on quantity and form of delivery
  3. Printing: offset generally takes longer than POD so be sure to ask your printer how long to allow. Hardcover books take longer than paperback so ask that too. POD usually is a 7-10 day process… but some have a proofing period so be sure to research and allow for that.
  4. Design time: be sure to ask your designer how long it will take, knowing you play a part in the completion of any design since you need to re-proof the text and approve all work being done. For a complete book, cover design and interior formatted allow 2-5 weeks depending on your books specifics.
  5. Editing: depending on what services of editing you are looking for this could take anywhere from 3-8 weeks.

So the final outlay of time to allow might look like this:

  • Editing: 4 weeks
  • Design: 3 weeks
  • Printing: 3 weeks
  • Delivery: 1 week
    ***So plan at least 3 months out.

OF COURSE this all is subject to the choices being made for each service.