So, I was asked this question a while back and wanted to touch on the subject again, especially since there is some debate about the speed in which Indie authors put out books.
Some writers can knock out a novel-length book in just a few weeks, while others take years to complete their work. Is one truly better than the other? I don’t think so. I think you have to write in your own time. If you rush the muse, you might not get the best results. On the flipside, if you take too long, your muse might get bored with you and leave. The ultimate goal as a writer is just to sit down and write something every day. Even if you don’t write very much, let’s say 500 words a day. If you commit to it and do it every single day that 80k (average novel length), would only take you 160 days to write. That’s a complete novel in less than 6 months. Not too shabby right? When you look at the numbers like that, you can see it is very doable to complete a few first draft books in a year.
Please note, I said, firs draft! These are not ready to hit the press yet. Do not ever attempt to publish something that has not had a chance to be properly critiqued and edited!
The more you write, the easier it comes. When I first wrote Immortalis Carpe Noctem, book one in the Immortalis series, it took me 5 years from start to finish. Not all of that was writing time, I spent a good year in the revision phase alone, but for arguments sake, we’ll just call it 5 years. While I was writing it, I had ideas for other stories including book two in the Immortalis series. By the time I was ready to write it, It only took me about 6 months to pen the first draft of Hunters & Prey . The same thing happened when I began writing the third book in the series, Pandora's Box. I finished that one in a shorter amount of time.
Once you get into that writing habit it really takes over and it becomes less about word counts and speed and more about getting the story down on paper.
So, slow or fast, either is fine. Just be sure you are writing something every day. That's the key!
If you have a writing or publishing related question you want me to answer, please feel free to contact me at Ksalidas [at] cox [dot] net.
About The Author
Katie Salidas is a USA Today bestselling author and RONE award winner known for her unique genre-blending style.
Since 2010 she's penned five bestselling book series: the Immortalis, Olde Town Pack, Little Werewolf, Chronicles of the Uprising, and the all-new Agents of A.S.S.E.T. series. As her not-so-secret alter ego, Rozlyn Sparks, she is a USA Today bestselling author of romance with a naughty side.
In her spare time Katie also produces and hosts a YouTube talk show; Spilling Ink. She also has a regular column on First Comics News where she explores writing from a nerdy perspective.