As the role of the author begins to change in this new world, one thing is coming back loud and clear… in order to be a successful authour, we must produce more books.
It’s pretty obvious really, isn’t it? Each book acts as a catalyst for multiple income streams (ebook, paperback, audiobook, film, tv etc), but more than one book will multiply those streams. You’re going to make more profit by selling ten books than you will by selling one, not even mentioning the additional platform and fanbase which will result.
The problem is, I hear you say, that it was hard enough writing the one book, let alone coming up with loads. So, how do we start building a production schedule?
The writing process
Before we start planning how many books we’re going to bring out in the next year, we need to understand our own writing process and how long it takes from start to finish. My writing process is listed below:
- Story plan
- First draft
- Second draft
- Beta-readers
- Third draft
- Editing
- Final draft
- Publish
Also, within this process there are key activities, such as:
- Cover Design
- Product Description
I’ve left these off the main list because they’re not on the critical path. They can be fitted in during the main process.
Measuring the process
In order to forecast how long each of these stages is going to take, you need a bit of experience about your own productivity and a sensible, yet challenging, guess.
There are two ways to plan projects; from the bottom up or from the end date backwards. You need a mixture of both to be able to generate a satisfactory production schedule. It’s no good saying that each book will take as long as it takes and then come up with one book per year, it’s just not enough, but equally it’s no good saying you want to write ten books in the next year and come up with a completely unrealistic plan.
It obviously depends on how long the books are that you want to write. This part is easy. How many words do you write a week? How many words will your book have? How many weeks will it take to write your first draft? (10,000 words a week, 70,000 word novel, 1st draft = 7 weeks)
I’ve included a story plan stage at the beginning because I think it’s impossible to write in this authorpreneurial way without knowing exactly what it is that you’re going to write. If you just set off with some characters and see where they take you then the process is completely out of your hands. This is an important stage and must be thorough.
Different length projects
Are you going to be able to produce novel lengths every time? I don’t think you will if you want to produce multiple titles per year. I think you’re going to have to mix it up. Some shorts, some novellas, some full-lengths. Experiment with different lengths.
Just think how many options will be available from a business point of view if you produce six novellas.
- Each one sold individually at the same price
- A product funnel where the first one is free and then scaling price points as you go through.
- Two 3-book box sets
- A 6-book box set
There is a trend recently for shorter fiction. Reading styles are changing, smart phones are being used and chunk size fiction is coming back. Experiment with it.
Planning
Once you know how long each project will be, and you know how long the first draft will take, you then need to fill in an estimate for the other stages based on your own experience of previous projects. Be challenging, whilst realistic, and start to plan out the time on an annual calendar.
It’s surprising how quickly the weeks disappear and I’m sure you’ll be tempted to shave some time off the draft stages, but remember to be realistic.
Once you have each project listed out, you then have your production schedule and the only thing left to do is stick to it. Let your editor know when you need their services, get on top with the cover designs, start planning ahead so that you can reduce the risk of bottle necks.
Remember, this is a business now. You are an author and you are a business person. Don’t be deluded that this is some kind of a dream life. It’s hard work. It’s going to take discipline, professionalism, and above all else, it’s going to need products.
Happy producing.
