It took seventeen years for me to get published. Before it was accepted by a publisher, my first novel was rejected thirteen times. Even after that, it took me 10 years as a professional writer until I came up with the concept for Percy Jackson and was able to become a full-time writer!
I started writing "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" when I was 11 years old. I finished just before my 12th birthday, but I didn't find an editor who wanted to publish it until three years later. It took me another seven years from then until I found a publisher.
I wrote two more books in the series after that first one was published: "The Lightning Thief" and "The Titan's Curse". I've been told by many readers that they love the series, so maybe someday someone will want to publish those too!
Writing these novels has been a huge effort for me. I'd like to think that they're of good quality and have taught me some valuable things about writing, but unfortunately neither of these is true. The first book I ever published was so bad that I ended up taking out most of the chapters I had written (including the ending).
After that failure, I decided that I would never try to be anyone else when I wrote. I would only write what was inside me and not worry about what others might think of it.
I've heard many writers say they want to write something that will make the world a better place. Well, if you're going to write about superheroes who have adventures in other dimensions and fight evil gods while trying to find a way to stop their own deaths, I think it's safe to assume that you're going to need more than one shot at it!
But even so, I believe every story has the power to change the world simply by bringing people together from all walks of life to share in an experience. And maybe that's why I keep getting rejected!
As long as there are people out there willing to try something new, I believe any story can be told over and over again forever. So go ahead: tell me what you want to tell me. I'll listen if I feel like it can help someone else avoid my rejection letter closet!
That's it: it takes at least 120 hours to write a book correctly. Of course, certain things will take longer, such as marketing the book, because you don't just promote a book once and then forget about it!
But most people underestimate how long writing a book really is. It's not like writing an article, where you can write several over the course of a week and still produce quality content. Writing a book is different - it requires careful planning and extensive research. You cannot just write what comes to your mind when thinking about the topic!
So, writing a book takes time. And depending on the size of the book, it can take up to years! The first issue that you have to deal with is writing frequency. Since writing a book is a full-time job, you'll need to be able to fit it in between other jobs or practices. If you can't, then why bother starting?
It's also important to note that writing a book is not a linear process. You won't be able to write one chapter per day and expect to finish on time. Instead, you should be able to write a couple of pages per day and consider this a success. That being said, there will be times when you won't be able to write for several days or weeks at a time without getting distracted.
A reasonable rule of thumb is to give yourself at least four months to write a book. Many writers estimate that it takes up to a year to create a book, but with our approach, authors may finish their works in as little as a month to 90 days. It all depends on how fast they can write.
If you plan to write more than one book, then you should allocate more time for your project. However, even if you only plan to focus on one book at a time, you should still allow yourself enough time to complete its entire development cycle from idea to publication.
For example, if you want to publish a novel by the end of the year, then you should start working on it around April or May and finish by October or November. This gives you plenty of time to edit the manuscript and submit it by December 31st.
Of course, these are only guidelines. You might be able to finish your work in less time, but only if you work efficiently and avoid distractions. If you don't have a clear goal in mind and multiple projects pulling you in different directions, then it will be difficult to complete anything of value.
The good news is that writing a book isn't as hard as you think! All it takes is a little creativity, passion, and effort.
From J.D. Salinger to Robert Louis Stevenson to J.R.R. Tolkien and others, the time it took our most cherished authors to create their literary masterpieces spans from 2 1/2 days (The Boy in Striped Pyjamas) to 16 years (The Lord of the Rings). It takes courage to commit your thoughts to paper and release them into the world. But when you do, you open up possibilities for new friendships, group projects, even marriages. According to author Michael Larsen Smith, writing a book is like climbing a mountain: You reach a peak and think you can't go any further, but then you push yourself just a little more and discover new sights and perspectives beyond what you ever imagined possible.
Writing a best-selling book is no easy task. It requires patience, persistence, and often many revisions before you're satisfied with the final product. However, once you have finished typing those last few words, you will experience one of the greatest feelings in the world: relief! You have completed your masterpiece and now you can put it away for a while; the pressure's off!
Of course, there's always another book waiting to be written...
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