Crashing a Book to Pub Date

If you're going to bring a book to market within a year's time, there is a lot to be done even after you've collected your research material. Perhaps it is different when writing a novel where your imagination is allowed to flow easily.

If you're pushing to get a book published in a short time as I was when I released Right to Recover Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America, there are some things you need to know.

It’s important for those considering a career in writing to realize how much time writing a non-fiction book really takes. Everyone thinks that their time is free, but that’s a quick trip to the poorhouse. You may or may not make any money when you take into consideration the amount of time it takes to prepare a book. I put more than 600 hours into the research, writing, editing, and proofreading Right to Recover.

I started my research in late summer of 2006, and had a publisher accept the book from my tentative outline. I had a contract before I had even written the first sentence. For nine months straight, I couldn't take on any new clients because I was working night and day trying to get everything finished by May 2007 so my publisher could take a galley copy of my book to BookExpo America (BEA) in June. It’s true the book wasn’t set to publish until October, but it takes the publisher several weeks to layout the book’s interior, design the cover, and get everything uploaded to Lightning Source Inc. (LSI) or whatever printer the publisher uses, and get copies shipped to the event. The field of stem cell research changes very rapidly as new discoveries are made. I had to give up on having the latest statistics and information in my book and go with what I had at the time. By rushing the book to finish by the middle of May, I turned in an unedited copy knowing there would be tons of changes to be made before the final copy could be printed and released. It cost me $350 for LSI to make the changes to my manuscript.

If you need motivation to write, there’s nothing like having a deadline to meet. Therefore, I urge writers to participate in events and contests that give incentive and encouragement to get the juices flowing. This also helps develop the habit of writing. Just don’t turn in your work before it is edited.

Yvonne Perry, is the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services—a team of highly qualified writers and editors with many years of experience in writing for articles, books, ad copy, media releases, PR kits, Web text, biographical sketches, and newsletters. Editing, proofreading, book review, and book evaluation services offered individually and as packages. Find us online at http://www.writersinthesky.com

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