How long does it take to write a (great) book?
The number might surprise you. Or it might not. Either way, don't start writing a book until you know this fact.
"How long does it take to write a book?" 📚
This is a question I’ve received multiple times and I’ve always struggled to answer it, because obviously the answer is “It depends.”
It depends on how long of a book you want to write.
How much research it requires.
What publishing route you’re pursuing.
How much time you can commit to writing each day.
And so man other wonderful factors.
But in his latest book, All It Takes Is A Goal, author Jon Acuff says it takes him around 500 hours to write a book.
Keep in mind, he's a professional writer and speaker. And it takes him 500 hours. That's over twelve standard work weeks.
Put another way, that's an entire business quarter.
Which begs the question:
Can you give up an entire quarter to write a book?
Because if you're not a professional writer, chances are it'll take you longer.
Especially once you factor in developmental editing, revisions, copy editing, proofreading, layout design, cover design, web copy, and marketing. And that's assuming you're self-publishing...you know, the "fast and easy" route.
This is why 99% of the people who say they want to write a book won't do it. They don't have the time.
Which brings us to the elephant in the room: Artificial Intelligence.
Over the past year, I’ve seen numerous claims by AI-based scam artists companies who claim you can “publish your book in a week (or less)” thanks to AI.
Mind you, I’m not anti-AI. In fact, I’ve now worked on several business books dealing with AI, so I’ve learned more about it than I thought I cared about.
I’ve used ChatGPT in several ways over the past year, including some research assistance to verify info and even to help speed up some messy citations. I think it’s a great tool for brainstorming…just not for writing compelling copy in a business book. And definitely not for fiction either.
So yes, you can technically “write” a book with AI in just a few days, but you’ll have to still check it for:
Out of date information
Wrong information
Biased information
Plagiarism liability
And much, much more!!!
And even after all this, you’ll still have to grapple with the question: “But is it any good?”
The answer to such a question will only come from…you guessed it…a human. (Hey there.) Just like anything in life, writing a great book requires real time and effort.
If you’re curious about how long it might take you to write a great book, then you’ll need to the guidance and feedback from someone who has helped other write good books. So let's talk about it.
I'm now offering free 20-minute Q&A calls to the public, so you can ask your top burning questions about writing. Do I have all the answers? No. But I can tell you which answers I do have and at least point you the right direction.
Mug of the Month
And if you’re a paid subscriber, scroll below for some additional advice for how you can maximize (and reduce) the 500 hours it will take you to write your book.
Did this help you? If so, share this with someone you know via the handy little button below.
And if you want even more content like this, you can subscribe and view the additional paid content below!
Automate your savings (and help support this newsletter) by signing up for the Acorns app. I get a bonus in my account when people sign up.