How long it takes to write a book depends mainly on two numbers: how many words the book needs and how many words you write each week. Divide the first by the second and you have your drafting time. At 1,000 words a day, five days a week, an 80,000-word novel takes about 16 weeks to draft, and revision, editing and production then add months more, so a realistic first book often takes a year or longer from first page to publication.

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This guide gives you a simple calculator you can do on paper, a table of drafting times at different daily word counts, example schedules from a fast-release romance author to a part-time literary novelist, and an honest look at the time after the draft for both self-publishing and traditional publishing. It does not promise any income; it is about planning time realistically.

At a glance

• The formula: target word count ÷ (words per writing day x writing days per week) = weeks to draft.
• Drafting is only part of it. Revision often takes as long as drafting, or longer, before editing even begins.
• Genre sets the target. A category romance may be around 50,000 words; epic fantasy can run beyond 100,000.
• Consistency beats speed. A small daily target you keep is faster in practice than a big one you abandon.
• The path after the draft differs. Self-publishing can follow within months of a finished manuscript; traditional publishing usually takes considerably longer.

The book-writing time calculator

Work through these four steps with your own numbers.

1. Set your target word count. Use the genre ranges in the live guide to how long a novel is. For non-fiction, look at the length of comparable books in your topic.
2. Measure your real words per session. Time three normal writing sessions and average the words, rather than guessing.
3. Count your realistic writing days per week, allowing for work, family and rest days.
4. Divide. Target words ÷ (words per session x sessions per week) = weeks to finish the first draft. Add about 20% for missed days, illness and holidays.

Example: a 75,000-word thriller, written at 750 words a session, four sessions a week, gives 3,000 words a week. 75,000 ÷ 3,000 = 25 weeks. Add 20% for life getting in the way, and the realistic plan is about 30 weeks for the first draft.

Drafting time by daily word count

The table assumes five writing days a week and shows weeks for the first draft only.

Words per writing day	Words per week	50,000 words	70,000 words	90,000 words	120,000 words
250	1,250	40 weeks	56 weeks	72 weeks	96 weeks
500	2,500	20 weeks	28 weeks	36 weeks	48 weeks
1,000	5,000	10 weeks	14 weeks	18 weeks	24 weeks
2,000	10,000	5 weeks	7 weeks	9 weeks	12 weeks
3,000	15,000	about 3.5 weeks	about 5 weeks	6 weeks	8 weeks

Real life varies: research-heavy books, complex plots, illness and family commitments all slow things down. Treat these figures as planning numbers, not promises.

The 50,000 words in a month benchmark

For years, the best-known benchmark was National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), in which writers aimed for 50,000 words during November. That works out at about 1,667 words a day, every day, for 30 days. The non-profit organisation behind it announced in 2025 that it was closing, but many writers still run the same challenge informally or through other communities. Two cautions: 50,000 words is a short novel in most adult genres, and a month-long sprint produces a very rough draft that needs substantial revision.

How long does it take to write a novel? Example schedules

These example schedules use the calculator above. They are illustrations of the maths, not typical or guaranteed results.

Writer and book	Target length	Pace	First draft
Full-time romance author planning a rapid-release series	60,000 words	2,000 words a day, 5 days a week	About 6 weeks
Commercial fiction author writing around a day job	80,000 words	1,000 words a day, 5 days a week	About 16 weeks
Fantasy author writing on weekends and two evenings	100,000 words	1,500 words, 4 sessions a week	About 17 weeks
Non-fiction author with a busy job	40,000 words	750 words, 4 sessions a week	About 13 weeks
Literary novelist writing slowly and carefully	90,000 words	500 words, 3 sessions a week	About 60 weeks

Rapid-release schedules depend on a lot of planning, a consistent genre and often a team for editing and covers. They also carry a real risk of burnout. A sustainable pace is the one you can keep for years, which is why the live guide to building a writing routine that works focuses on habits rather than heroic word counts.

What takes the time after the first draft

New writers often plan for the draft and are surprised by everything after it. The stages below are typical; the time each takes varies widely with the book, your experience and your budget.

1. Rest: putting the draft aside for a few weeks helps you revise with fresh eyes.
2. Self-revision: structural changes first, then scene-level and line-level edits. Revision usually takes as long as drafting, or longer. The guide to self-editing your book breaks it into passes.
3. Beta readers or critique partners: allow time for them to read and for you to act on feedback.
4. Professional editing: editors are often booked weeks or months ahead, so contact them early. See how to find the right editor.
5. Proofreading, cover and formatting, which can run alongside each other.
6. Launch preparation: pre-orders, advance copies and marketing.

Self-publishing vs traditional publishing timelines

Stage	Self-publishing	Traditional publishing
Who sets the pace	You, plus the freelancers you hire	Agent and publisher schedules
Before a deal or launch	No gatekeeper; you can publish once the book is ready	Querying agents, then the agent pitching to publishers, which can each take many months
Editing and production	Depends on freelancer availability and your budget	Done by the publisher, often with fixed seasonal slots
From finished manuscript to publication	Often a few months	Often well over a year after signing
Flexibility	High; you can move dates	Low; release dates are set by the publisher

For the self-publishing stages in detail, the live publishing timeline from concept to launch works backwards from a launch date. For the traditional route, see how to get a literary agent.

What slows writers down most

If your real pace is far below your plan, the cause is usually one of a handful of common problems rather than a lack of talent:

• Not knowing what happens next. Sessions spent staring at the page are often a planning problem, not a writing problem.
• Editing while drafting. Rewriting the same chapters repeatedly can stall a draft for months.
• Research rabbit holes. Mark facts to check later with a note such as [CHECK] and keep going.
• Irregular sessions. Long gaps mean rereading to remember where you were, which eats into writing time.
• The wrong book. Sometimes slow progress is a sign the premise needs rethinking; a short break to test the idea can save months.

Word count is not the only measure

Some days the right work is planning, research or fixing a structural problem, and the word count will be low or zero. That still counts as progress. Track hours or tasks as well as words, so a planning-heavy week does not feel like failure, and so your future estimates include the thinking time as well as the typing.

How to write a book faster without burning out

• Outline before you draft, even lightly, so each session starts with a clear next scene. The live guide to how to write a novel covers plotting approaches.
• Write first, edit later. Mark problems and move on rather than polishing yesterday’s chapter.
• Protect a fixed writing time. The same time each day reduces the decision cost of starting.
• Use short timed sprints of 20-30 minutes with a break between them.
• Track your words so you know your real pace and can plan future books more accurately.
• Stop mid-scene, leaving yourself an easy restart for next time.
• For series, keep a series bible so you are not rereading earlier books to check details.

Planning checklist

• Target word count chosen for the genre and format.
• Real words per session measured over at least three sessions.
• Writing days per week set realistically.
• Draft time calculated, with about 20% extra for life.
• Revision time added, at least equal to the draft time for a first book.
• Editor and cover designer contacted early, with dates pencilled in.
• Launch or submission date set only once editing dates are confirmed.

Common mistakes

• Planning only the draft. Revision, editing and production often take longer than writing the first version.
• Copying someone else’s word count. Fast writers often have years of practice, a full-time schedule or a team. Measure your own pace.
• Setting a public release date too early. Missing a pre-order deadline can cause problems with the retailer and with readers.
• Endless rewriting of the first chapters before the draft is finished.
• Choosing the wrong length for the genre, which adds months of cutting or padding later.
• Treating speed as the goal. A book that is finished well matters more than one that is finished fast.

Sources this guide draws on: common publishing guidance on genre word counts (as gathered in this site’s guide to novel length); the NaNoWriMo 50,000-word challenge and news reporting of the organisation’s 2025 closure; cross-checks against timeline guidance from writing and publishing educators such as Jane Friedman and Reedsy. Calculations in the tables are this guide’s own.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to write a book for the first time?

For many first-time writers working part-time, a first draft takes somewhere between several months and a couple of years, and revision adds more. The fastest way to estimate your own timeline is to measure your weekly word count and divide your target length by it.

How many words a day should I write to finish a novel?

Any amount you can sustain. At 500 words a day, five days a week, you would draft 70,000 words in 28 weeks; at 1,000 words a day, in 14 weeks. A smaller daily target that you actually keep usually beats an ambitious one you abandon.

Can you write a book in 30 days?

You can write a rough draft of a short novel in 30 days if you average about 1,667 words a day, which is the 50,000-word challenge made famous by NaNoWriMo. It will need substantial revision before it is ready for readers, and 50,000 words is short for many adult genres.

How long does it take to write a non-fiction book?

The drafting maths is the same, but non-fiction often needs more research and fact-checking time. A 40,000-word guide at 3,000 words a week takes about 13 weeks to draft; add research time before and fact-checking and editing after.

How long does it take to publish a book after writing it?

For self-publishing, editing, cover design and formatting often take a few months once the manuscript is finished. Traditional publishing usually takes considerably longer: finding an agent and a publisher can take many months, and publication commonly follows more than a year after a deal is signed.

Your book’s timeline is a calculation, not a mystery. Pick a target length, measure your real pace, add honest time for revision and production, and give yourself a plan you can actually keep.