Indie Author Publishing Calendar

How to balance writing and self-publishing

Earlier this week, I explained to a new client the two main publishing paths: independent publishing and traditional publishing. About half of Conquer Books clients pursue trad publishing and half choose to self-publish.

This is different than when I first started coaching in 2020. At that time, about 70% of my clients planned to work with a publishing company.

After coaching over 800 writers and editing over 5 million words, I’ve learned what makes for a page-turning book.

I’m Rebecca Zornow, and I’d love to be your book coach.

The Pros & Cons of Indie Publishing

While I see both publishing paths as highly viable, there’s a reason we’re seeing an increase in writers choosing to self-publish.

• •You don’t have to wait to be discovered.

• •You have complete control over your deadlines, process, and finished product.

• •You select your own book prices and retailers.

• •More and more readers are selecting books by independent authors because of the highly original writing and favorite subgenres and tropes.

There are some downsides as well.

• •You work alone, building your own team along the way.

• •You make a financial investment upfront.

• •There’s a huge learning curve.

• •There’s no one to stop you from making a mistake.

The publishing decision comes down to what an author wants to spend their time on, their skills, and where they can tolerate risk.

For instance, someone who thinks big like a CEO, wants to kickoff their publishing journey on a set timeline, and has experience managing contractors is a great candidate for self-publishing.

If this is you, or a version of it, one of your first steps is to decide upon a budget and timeline.

As an independent author, you can publish as quick as you can draft, edit, produce, and market a quality book. I suggest working on a timeline that allows you to work on two books in a year.

Indie Author Publishing Calendar

Month 1:

• •Build story foundation and outline

• •Build project budget

Month 2-4:

• •Draft the book

• •Book contractors

Month 5:

• •Self-edit

Month 6:

• •Send your book to the developmental editor

• •Start a new book, building the story foundation and outline

Month 7:

• •Self-edit

Month 8:

• •Send your book to the line editor

• •Draft the new book

Month 9:

• •Self-edit

• •Draft the new book

Month 10+:

• •Send the book to the copy editor

• •Format the book

• •Work with the cover designer

• •Draft the new book

Month 11+:

• •Implement the marketing plan

• •Prepare to publish

• •Self-edit the new book

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  One of the number one issues I see in aspiring authors is lack of action. I hope this calendar template helps you visualize how to move projects forward.

• Learn to balance your timetable and you will thrive as an indie author.