Julia McCitchen: The Writer's Journey from inspiration to publication - The writer's Journey, From inspiration to publication

Non-fiction books are usually commissioned by publishers before the whole manuscript is written on the basis of a first-class book proposal plus a few sample chapters.

When you sign the contract you have to commit to a delivery date for your completed manuscript and publishers will schedule the book for publication based on that date.

Finishing a manuscript can be more challenging than some writers expect because it does feel different once you are under contract to a publisher and the pressure of an important deadline can interfere with the creative flow.

Even if you are planning on self-publishing your book, working to a deadline is a good idea. It will ensure that your writing is high enough up your priority list to get done and avoid the trap of it taking so long that you lose energy and enthusiasm for it.

So here are 5 tips to support you to complete your non-fiction manuscript:

1. Always give yourself more time than you think you need. The reality is that your writing will take longer than you expect it to, especially if this is your first book.

   Time and again I have worked with authors who are confident of their subject and under the impression that it “won’t take long to write it all down”.

   Yet however familiar you are with the content, the writing process has a magic all of its own. You will almost certainly discover new ideas as you write and different ways of explaining your message on the page.

   Consider this point carefully before you agree to the delivery date which goes into your contract. My recommendation is that for an average non-fiction book, four to six months from signature of the contract is a minimum you should agree to unless there is a really good reason to shorten that time frame.

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