Read on Twitter
I've been meaning for a while to do a thread on something that's been on my mind lately: deadlines.
They can be pretty all consuming for traditionally published authors! Here's a bunch of stuff I wish I'd known before I got published:
They can be pretty all consuming for traditionally published authors! Here's a bunch of stuff I wish I'd known before I got published:
First, it's so important to understand your own process and how much time you need. How many words you can do in a day without destroying your life... Whether you tend to need restarts when drafting... Anything that helps you estimate how much time you need for each stage.
One of the most important things I wish I could tell all debut authors is to do the math BEFORE you sign the contract, and if you need more time in the schedule, have your agent ask for it! It's MUCH easier to get more time before the schedule is set.
Communicating with your editor is so critical! Authors take wildly varying amounts of time to write, and with each phase of drafting & edits. Your editor has NO IDEA whether you write fast or slow, what other demands you have on your time, etc, unless you tell them.
Similarly, I've found it incredibly helpful to ask editors to explain their side of the schedule to me. How much time they usually need to turn feedback around, what the different phases and deadlines are, when the book has to be done done done, etc.
I've spoken to a lot of authors who feel like they can't ask for more time. Like the deadline is some immovable wall they must break themselves against. But no one wants you to break yourself! If you're struggling with a deadline, the sooner you tell your editor, the better.
The thing to bear in mind is that there's a huge chain of dependencies that kicks in once you finish the bookâother people who can't do their jobs until you reach a certain point. So long as those people have enough time, your publisher is usually happy to give YOU more time.
I've talked to my various editors about not being sure I had enough time to do as good a job as I wanted on a given draft. None of them has ever been like, "You FOOL! You have FAILED US FOR THE LAST TIME." They just start doing their own schedule Tetris to see what might work.
Some important things to know:
- Books have to be complete (done done done, handed off) WAY before publication date. Like, six months to a year before. There are a ton of people whose jobs can't start until the author's is completely finished.
- Books have to be complete (done done done, handed off) WAY before publication date. Like, six months to a year before. There are a ton of people whose jobs can't start until the author's is completely finished.
- When you're calculating how much time you need to write your book, INCLUDE TIME FOR YOUR EDITOR TO WORK ON IT. If you have a year between due dates, you do NOT get an actual year to write the book. There will be periods when it's with your editor & you can't really work on it.
- Asking for more time isn't as simple as your editor being nice & giving it to you. Often there are trade offs. Like, at a certain point there's no more time to be had without moving the publication date, for instance (which, note: HAPPENS and is not the end of the world)
There's a lot of talk about needing a book a year, especially to build momentum as a newer author. This is REALLY HARD, especially since few can write full time. Pretty much every author I know struggles with this pace. You're not a failure if you're struggling! We all are.
So...When you get your first publishing contract, don't feel like you have to commit to the first dates they float or have them think you can't hack a professional pace. Do the math and get the time you need up front! Add a buffer for unexpected stuff to come up.
If you have MORE time than you need, maybe ask about the rest of the schedule to make sure you're not screwing Future You! 
You might be a fast drafter but need lots of time for edits, for instance, and you want that extra time to be where you need it if possible.
You might be a fast drafter but need lots of time for edits, for instance, and you want that extra time to be where you need it if possible.
I have weird feelings about how deadlines work in this industry. On the one hand, maintaining a certain pace really IS best for your career. On the other hand...linear time! Life! Burnout!
There's always a tension between what's best for your career & what's best for YOU.
There's always a tension between what's best for your career & what's best for YOU.
Remember that your agent can help advocate for the time you need. Remember that no one wants you to burn out. What you can sustain for a crunch period is different than what you can sustain forever, and it's good to make sure everyone understands which is which! Including you.
I feel like I'm forgetting stuff, but I'll add it later if I think of it!
Now I have to get back to working on edits...I have a deadline.
Now I have to get back to working on edits...I have a deadline.
