How long does it take to write a book?
Writing the first draft yourself takes about four months at a steady daily pace. Getting from idea to a published book usually takes most of a year, and longer if you write it alongside a full-time job. Here is how the time breaks down for each route.
If you write it yourself
The Scribe Method's chapter on creating a writing plan uses 250 words an hour as a realistic pace, roughly one book page. That gives a simple way to plan:
| Daily writing | Time each day | First draft |
|---|---|---|
| 250 words | About 1 hour | 30,000 words in about 4 months |
| 500 words | About 2 hours | 60,000 words in about 4 months |
The same chapter suggests a deadline for each chapter: one a week is a fast pace, one every two weeks is moderate, and if you can only manage one a month, it is worth asking whether you have time for a book right now.
Then add the rest. A finished draft still needs editing, copy editing, a cover, interior layout and publishing. Each step involves other people and back-and-forth, so plan on several more months.
If you get help
Help changes how much of your time the book takes more than how long the project runs. These are Scribe's published figures from scribemedia.com/services:
| Route | Who writes | Project length | Your time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scribe Publishing | You, before you start | 6 to 7 months | 1 to 3 hours a week (30 to 50 hours total) |
| Scribe Guided Author | You, with a coach | 12 to 18 months | 2 to 6 hours a week |
| Scribe Professional | A Scribe writer, from your interviews | 9 to 12 months | 2 to 4 hours a week (60 to 100 hours total) |
| Scribe Elite | An Elite ghostwriter, from your interviews and outside research | 9 to 12 months | 2 to 4 hours a week (80 to 120 hours total) |
One real example: David Burkus, who had published four books with traditional houses, went from his first Guided Author session in June 2022 to on sale everywhere by May 2023, about 11 months. His story is on scribemedia.com.
If you go the traditional route
Traditional publishing is slower still. In How to Pick the Right Book Publishing Option, The Scribe Method puts the timeline at 12 to 36 months to publish, and that clock only starts once you have an agent and a publisher has accepted your proposal. The same chapter notes that fewer than 1% of proposals are accepted.
Why faster is not the goal
Some services promise a finished book in weeks. A book is something people will judge you by for years, so the question worth asking is not how fast it can be done, but how long it takes to do well. The extra months go into finding the right angle, rewriting the chapters that do not work and getting the details right.
Not sure you have the time? The quiz asks how many hours a week you can give the book and points you to the route that fits.
Common questions
How long does it take to write a 50,000-word book?
At 250 words a day, about 200 writing days, so six to seven months of steady daily writing for the first draft. At 500 words a day, about half that. Editing, design and publishing come after.
How many hours a day should I write?
The Scribe Method recommends at least one hour a day, and 30 minutes if that is all you have. Two to three hours is ideal, but showing up every day matters more than the length of each session.
How long does traditional publishing take?
The Scribe Method puts it at 12 to 36 months to get a book published traditionally, and that is after you find an agent and a publisher accepts the proposal.
How long does a ghostwritten book take?
At Scribe, an interview-based book takes about 9 to 12 months from start to finish, with 2 to 4 hours a week from the author. Scribe does not rush books; the time goes into getting the book right.
Sources: The Scribe Method, chapters 13 and 31, and scribemedia.com/services. Published by Scribe Media.