As a leader in your industry you want your message to get out there and be heard. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by having a book appear on the bestseller list in your niche. If you are just starting out in the process you might be asking just “How long it will take?” to get your thoughts onto paper and into a published book. There are several factors involved in writing a book including:

• Do you have existing content that can be used?

• Are you rewriting outdated material?

• If you are starting from scratch, have you created an outline?

• Does your schedule allow for regular and consistent writing?

Depending on your specific circumstance you could complete a project within two months, while others may want to take a longer period of time due to time constraints of running a business or a desire to build more content.

It’s important to also consider what format you would like your book to be presented; along with, how you would like it published – traditional methods or as a self-published author.

The following are five ways to write and publish your book in under one year.

1 – Determine how long the book will be

Right from the beginning of the writing process, it’s important to know just how many words you would like to have in the final outcome. Create a goal and try to stick with this formula as close as possible throughout the writing and editing process:

1 – 2 months: 30,000 – 60,000 words: 1000 words/day

2 – 4 months: 60,000 – 120,000 words: 1000 words/day

4 – 6 months: 120,000 – 180,000 words: 1000 words/day

If you have a targeted publication date, remember that after the book is written there will be other steps in the process such as the editing process, book formatting for publication, ect.

2 – Choose a writing schedule that works for you

Every entrepreneur and business owner has a limited amount of time in which to create content while ‘taking care of business”. Use tools and resources to help stay on track and etch out a specific time and day during the week being consistent to keep the momentum going. For example, you might want to make it a goal to write a book that has 30,000 to 60,000 words, which would be to write 500 words a day for three times a week. This could move you to a finish line in around 5 to 10 months.

If you do not have a book-length in mind yet then you research the different types of books that would be similar to yours and look at how many pages are in their books (easy to do on Amazon by scrolling down Product Details section).

3 – Set a goal of total number of pages

A word count is the best way to help you determine how long it will take to get your book finished. The next way can be also useful, and that is to work toward a specific number of pages. Here are a few examples using that method:

• 100 pages equates to around 30,000 words (use Google Docs, Pages, or Microsoft Word to help you measure your count). This will take your completion time to around 5 to 6 months.

• 200 pages is (of course) double the above scenario. Keep in mind that this may require more research and hours spent depending on how comfortable you are with the writing process. The larger the project the more work it will take to formulate and write. Give yourself extra time to gather the right information, which could include interviews, data, quotes; and, your own personal stories that are relevant to the points you are making.

• 300 pages can easily take over a year to complete as this amounts to around 90,000 words. Choose this option only if you are writing an autobiography or full length novel. Most business owners will not need to write a book of this length in order to be successful as a published author. Ultimately it’s the quality of the material that counts, not a large number of pages. Large-length books can actually be a deterrent for many non-fiction readers.

4 – Choose a game plan strategy

Once you have created a specific schedule to write your book the next step it to put together an action plan where you can meet targeted goals each week. Here are some tips on how to get started on the right track:

• Know the purpose of your book – Ask yourself who is your target audience, and why they would want to read your book? Get clear on your goals in order to prioritize what will be included in your outline and each chapter. For example, will this be a problem-solving solution or a how-to book that will generate more leads and sales? Or do you plan to build a brand name in order to attract media attention and speaking engagements?

• Set realistic deadlines – Writing a book independently means that you are working for yourself. Make a specific time slot that you can stick with and commit to that will not be overwhelming as you build your business. Think of deadlines as a way to help you get closer to your goal of completing your manuscript. Make it a game. This unleashes more creativity with less pressure to perform.

• Research the competition – What are other leaders in your industry writing about? Take the time to look at best-sellers in your topic. Visit their website and social media accounts. Gather those ideas with your own and visualize how you want to be different.

• Use a spreadsheet or online tool to track your progress – Details matter when it comes to organizing your writing time. Create a spreadsheet or use a project management tool to help you prioritize your tasks. Everyone has their own writing style and schedule — categorizing what you need to do with each task moves you toward your outline and draft.

• Get an accountability partner – Ask someone that you trust to help you stay on track and provide fresh perspectives along with constructive criticism. This person is someone who is can see things that you may not when you are so close to your project. Caution: This person should be someone who is a peer or a step ahead of you (or two) in your field. Friends and family, while well-meaning, may not necessarily support the time you are spending on writing your book.

5 – Make the most of the time that you have

The truth is, you may not have the time to write a book. Many ‘authors’ are not writers. A good solution to this is to consider working with someone who can help you flush out the ideas, then bring in an editor who is versed in your genre. If that sounds like you, let’s jump on a call to see how I can help you reduce the time it will take to get your book out to the world with an aim to a bestseller list.

Becoming an author can help propel you as a leader in your industry that people turn to as their go-to source. This can ultimately open the doors for speaking engagements, digital courses, a YouTube channel, podcast and more. Whether you choose the traditional or self published route, a book that gets your name out into the public can be something you are proud of and completed in less time than you might think with the right goals and strategies in place.