INSIDER INSIGHT!
How Long Does It Take . . . ?
1. To hear from an agent who's asked to see your proposal or manuscript? This time frame varies wildly, anywhere from a week to six months. The average is probably four to six weeks. It depends on the agent's workload and other commitments.
2. To hear "yes" or "no" from a publisher?
This is another case of wild variation. If the editor loves your project, you'll hear immediately (within a week or so). If it's business as usual, even if the answer is "yes" it might be three to four weeks. If the answer is "no," it may be months (because the editor didn't get around to writing a rejection letter). If the answer is "yes," keep in mind that the editor still has to pull together a business plan for the book, wait for the next editorial meeting where the project can be discussed, and then get approval for the specifics of an offer. That can all take time in normal situations, but if they see your book as a really hot property, they'll telescope it into just a few days.
3. To find a publisher?
It can take anywhere from one week to six months to find a publisher and make a deal. For first-time writers with sound ideas but no special claim to fame, it usually takes about two to three months from the time the agent sends it out until the contract is signed.
4. To negotiate a contract?
Depending on the complexity of the contract, the deal itself, and the workload of the person with whom the agent is negotiating (usually the editor or a contracts specialist), it can take one week to two months to iron out all the details.
5. To be paid an advance against royalties?
Usually, it's three to four weeks between the time a contract is signed and when the writer receives the first advance payment, if a payment was due upon signing the contract. On later installments of the manuscript, it can take three to four weeks for the editor to approve and accept them (usually a condition of payment of the advance) and another three to four weeks for the check to be cut and sent. All of this can happen much more quickly (and does, for a publisher's most important authors), but these time frames are "business as usual" for most publishers.
6. To write a manuscript?
Trade publishers like to receive manuscripts sooner rather than later, and most like authors to complete manuscripts in three to six months. A year is about the outside limit in most cases, mainly because the market moves quickly. No publisher wants to see sales potential diminished by another book that comes out first. For first-time writers, that's why it's a good idea to have some portion of the manuscript completed before you start contacting agents and publishers. Chances are, they'll want you to hurry up once the deal is made.
7. To produce a bound book?
Some books on timely events or situations are "crashed out" in less than a month, but the normal process takes five to twelve months at most publishers. The average is probably around six to nine months. A university press may take as long as eighteen months (or more). Keep in mind that color and illustrated books are often printed in Asia or Europe, so that adds a month or more to the production schedule. The exception to these timeframes is Internet publishing services (like iUniverse.com or CaffePress.com), which use print-on-demand to make bound books available in as little as one to two months.
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