Self-publishing is easier today than ever to help you manage your writing career while letting the world read what you have to say through your books. However, asking the question of how long does it take to self-publish a book is quite difficult; this will vary with regard to factors such as the manuscript’s condition, if you’re publishing the book in electronic or in physical form, and also what you choose to outsource.
We’re going to break down some of the major stages involved in self-publishing and give you a general sense of how long each will take, and then offer an example timeline to work from.
Why Does the Self-Publishing Timeline Vary?
Self-publishing is normally much faster than traditional publishing, although the timeframe may vary. Several factors will determine how long it will take to get your book published, such as:
- The state of your manuscript: If it’s already polished and ready to go, you’ll move faster. If it needs significant editing, that will add to your timeline.
- eBook vs Print Book: eBook tends to publish much more quickly than a print book as there is no physical need for production.
- Services needed: Are professional editing, cover design, or formatting involved? Those can greatly alter the final duration of the process.
Example Self-Publishing Timeline: A Breakdown
To give you a clearer idea of the process, let’s outline the major steps involved in self-publishing and how long each typically takes. Remember, these are just averages; each book is unique!
1. Copyediting
A very important step where a professional editor goes through a manuscript in search of the spellings, grammatical errors as well as minor typos. For a manuscript of 25,000 words and below, this stage takes approximately 3 weeks. For manuscripts with 100,000 words, the process will take approximately 4 weeks.
2. Developmental Editing
Developmental editing checks your book for better fit in terms of its structure, tone, and style. This is usually essential so that your manuscript will look well-organized and interesting. The processing time depends on the word count of a book. A 25,000-word book takes about 2 weeks, whereas longer books (those exceeding 100,000 words) might take 2 months or so.
3. eBook Formatting and Publishing
Easily formatted to look good as an eBook, this can be uploaded to a publishing platform in a couple of days. If you’re doing it yourself, this may take 1 week. If you’re using a service like Gatekeeper Press that will turn the book into all the relevant formats and distribute them, this process can take approximately 4 weeks.
4. Print Book Formatting and Layout
For print books, it’s a bit more elaborate process in terms of formatting and layout. Generally, standard formatting for a print book takes about 5 weeks. This may extend even further if there are more than one revisions or some special layout requests.
5. Post-Production Proofreading
After formatting, the final proofread on your manuscript is due so that any errors which had slipped through can be caught. For books under 50,000 words, proofread usually takes 1 to 2 weeks.
6. Cover Design
It will be the first thing your readers see, so invest quality time in getting it right. Professional cover design normally takes 4-5 weeks depending on the complexity. Turnaround times for illustrated covers will be longer as the designs are much more intricate and will take a lot more time.
7. Illustrations
If your book has any illustrations or images, the lead time could be pretty varied. Simple line drawings may be completed in just a few days, while detailed artwork may take several weeks or even a few months, depending on the schedule of the artist and revisions.
8. Copyright / LCCN Registration
The U.S. Copyright Office will take up to 1-2 weeks to register the book’s copyright, while a formal certificate might take a year to come. LCCN takes much less time compared to this and usually will take about 2 weeks on average.
Self-publishing Timeline Example: Manuscript to Launch
Now that we have broken the process into sections, let’s take a look at an example timeline for self-publishing a book. Please keep in mind that this is just a sample, and your timeline could be different based on your unique situation.
| Stage | Duration |
| Writing the Manuscript | 3 months to 2 years |
| Copyediting | 3-4 weeks |
| Developmental Editing | 2 weeks to 2 months |
| eBook Formatting | 1-2 weeks |
| Print Book Formatting | 5 weeks |
| Cover Design | 4-5 weeks |
| Proofreading | 1-2 weeks |
| Registration (Copyright/LCCN) | 2 weeks |
| Marketing Setup | 1-3 months (ongoing) |
Factors That Impact Your Self-Publishing Timeline
While the above timeline provides a general overview, several factors can either speed up or slow down the process:
- Manuscript Readiness: A well-polished manuscript with minimal editing will take much less time than a manuscript that requires significant revisions.
- eBook vs. Print Book: eBooks typically have a faster production time than physical books due to the lack of print and shipping.
- Professional Help: Hiring professionals for copyediting, cover design, or formatting can speed up the process, but it may also add time due to scheduling.
FAQs on How Long It Takes to Self-Publish
Q1: How soon can I self-publish my book?
The shortest possible time for self-publishing would be a few weeks, assuming you have already written and edited your manuscript, and you are publishing only an eBook with minimal formatting. However, most authors will spend several months preparing their manuscript for release.
Q2: Can I self-publish a physical book quicker than an eBook?
No, quite the contrary. eBooks will usually take less time in production as there is no physical production and distribution involved.
Q3: Is it possible to hurry up the editing process?
Yes, this is possible when you decide to use expedited services by editors or when you hire a team that edits fast, but quality remains the core of editing; therefore, be careful about sacrificing thoroughness for the sake of speed.
Q4: How will I know that my book is actually ready for a publisher?
You know you’re done with your book, once you’ve done multiple iterations of edit, received a review from beta readers and feel you’re good as finalised. The Cover and format should also have gone through several rounds before the manuscript is final.
Do you want to start off on your self-publishing journey?
Share your story with the world. Download our free self-publishing checklist to get started now or contact us to get started on a free consultation on your self-publishing journey.
Conclusion:
There are quite a few factors that determine how soon you can get your book self-published. However, with proper planning, you will ensure it is a smooth launch. It can take anywhere from a few weeks to months, but it is absolutely worth the time invested into perfecting every step in the way—be it editing, design, or marketing.
