Timelines and Tailwinds
One of the most common questions eager authors ask after sending in their manuscript is, “When can I expect my book to be released?”
A general rule is to plan for six months between when your manuscript comes in the door to when it’s available to readers on virtual book shelves.
What’s happening during that time?
Editing
This can be the longest portion of the process, depending on how many rounds of editing are involved. From developmental editing (we often call this writing coaching) to the final proofread, your editors will work to hone your prose (or poetry) into its best self. Along the way, you’ll be tasked with working each round of edits into your manuscript. It’s a collaborative process that can take several weeks for each stage, depending on the needs of the book.
Timeline: Varies, but plan on around 3-4 weeks for each round of line/copy edits for a 60k word project
Cover design
Creating an eye-catching cover that represents a book no matter the size of the screen on which it is viewed is no small task. Our designers will work to realize your vision, and your feedback will be incorporated through several rounds of refinement.
Timeline: 2-3 weeks
Formatting
Once editing is complete, we move on to formatting. Your book will be customized for each format and distribution platform on which its release is planned. This can range from just an ebook and print paperback for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and an ebook for Draft2Digital, and extend to additional formats such as a hardcover print book distributed by Ingram/Spark all the way to individual types of ebooks. In any case, it can be as varied as the needs of your project.
Timeline: 2 weeks, plus more for revisions
Metadata, category, and blurb creation
These essential components of your publishing strategy will help future readers find your book on digital platforms. Targeted keywords specific to your book will help it excel in crowded categories. We’ll also source the most relevant categories for your book and craft a compelling blurb, or description, that will draw readers into the world of your story, be it fiction or nonfiction.
Timeline: 6-10 days
File creation and uploading
Near the end of the project, the formatted manuscript gets uploaded to the platforms on which it be published. At this point, the author and the project owner (the person you’ve been working with throughout the project) will have a chance to review the final product and grant final approvals. If you are putting out a print book, an author proof will be requested so you can see exactly what your readers will receive when they buy your book. Any final corrections will need to be made prior to publishing.
Timeline: Up to a month
Those are the basic building blocks most projects go through at SPS. Additional puzzle pieces like recording and launching an audiobook or establishing an author platform can extend the timeline.
What can you do to help speed up the process?
Aside from responding to any questions from your project owner, for the most part, when the book is out of your hands, the work is on us. We don’t encourage trying to rush a book to publication. When a piece of the project comes your way for review, like a round of edits or a cover design, we encourage taking time to not only review it thoroughly, but also allow breathing space for your thoughts and feedback to take shape. Rushing to get through project steps can actually lead to delays down the road when clients realize additional changes are needed.
The good news is, there’s plenty you can work on while your book is out of your hands. Some examples are author platform building or working on a book magnet. We’ll cover that in another blog post. For now, head to our publishing packages page to learn more about common publishing workflows (and take advantage of our 10% discount on full packages in November).