With the proliferation of e-readers and tablets, the way we read books is changing. Gone are the days of dragging a book around with you. Nowadays, we prefer to stay in touch with our favorite authors through their blogs, YouTube videos, and websites.
As a result, it is often said that anyone can write an e-book these days and make money from it. But is this really true?
Before you rush off to write the next best-selling e-book, it’s important to consider the amount of time you have to devote to it. Essentially, there are only so many hours in a day. So how much time do you have to write an e-book?
Here’s a look at how little time do you have to write an e-book:
Less Than Two Weeks
According to industry insiders at My Bookkeeper Reviews, it takes about two weeks to write a solid e-book. During this time, you need to put in ten hours a day, six days a week. That’s a full sixty hours per week. In two weeks, you will need to write at least fifty pages, preferably one hundred. If you are writing an adult fiction e-book, this means you will need to write two hundred pages. If you are writing a non-fiction e-book, then you will need to write at least one hundred and fifty pages.
If this sounds like a lot of work, it is. Especially if you want your e-book to be good. Otherwise, you are just going to end up with another one of those “so what?” kind of e-books that nobody actually wants to read.
To give you an idea of what a two-week writing session looks like, here’s a short poem I wrote in about two weeks:
A Two-Week Writing Session
When I first heard about how little time it takes to write an e-book, I thought, “That’s impossible. A two-week writing session? No way!”
I have only had brief writing sessions where I wrote for two weeks straight. I used to write when I was younger, and it was something I did when I needed to get something out. But nowadays, I can’t even imagine doing it. I need time to read, to think, to walk, to sleep. There’s just so much to do in two weeks.
So how can you manage to write an e-book in two weeks? You have to set your hours, break them, and don’t waste any time. For me, that meant I had to stop what I was doing and start writing. There were times when I knew I wasn’t going to make it, but I kept going anyway. I don’t know if it was because I was driven by a need to succeed or because I just wanted to prove to myself that I could. But it’s not something I would recommend anyone else to do.
The first step is to figure out how you’re going to set your hours.
You need to pick a time when you will write. For me, this was when I was on vacation. During the times when I was not on vacation, I made sure to write as much as I could, even if it was only for a few hundred words. It’s amazing how much you can get done when there’s no other option but to write.
Another important thing to do is to break your writing session into periods. When I was on vacation, I would write for two hours, stop, take a break, and then continue for two more hours. Sometimes I would take a longer break and then write for another two hours. It was important to me to stop sometimes, even if it was just for a few minutes. Otherwise, I would have been working all the time without a break, and that’s no good for anyone.
More Than Three Weeks
According to industry insiders at My Bookkeeper Reviews, it takes about three weeks to write a solid e-book. During this time, you need to put in sixteen hours a day, seven days a week. That’s a full week of continuous writing. As a result, it is not unusual for authors to spend more than three weeks on their e-book.
To give you an idea of what a three-week writing session looks like, here’s a short poem I wrote in about three weeks:
A Three-Week Writing Session
There are times when I think that three weeks is more than enough time to write an e-book. After all, you only need to write a few thousand words to make it worth your while. If you are lucky, you will maybe even be able to include some illustrations to make it more appealing to readers. But beyond that, it’s usually unnecessary. Most e-books are simply not worth the time and effort that is required to write them.
Sometimes, though, there is more than one reason for wanting to write an e-book. Perhaps you want to be able to share your thoughts with the world. Or, perhaps, you just want to be paid for your writing. In those cases, it’s important to remember that there are other options. For instance, you can publish your e-book in Kindle format and make money off them. You don’t necessarily need to write an entire book to be able to do that. All you need is a handful of short stories, articles, or reviews and you can get started. With Kindle publishing, the time it takes to write an e-book is not important. What is important is that you get the book done in time for Christmas.
More Than Six Weeks
According to industry insiders at My Bookkeeper Reviews, it takes about six weeks to write a solid e-book. During this time, you need to put in twenty hours a day, seven days a week. That’s a full week of continuous writing. It’s not like anything else in your life, this kind of commitment. As a result, it is not uncommon for authors to spend more than six weeks on their e-book.
To give you an idea of what a six-week writing session looks like, here’s a short poem I wrote in about six weeks:
A Six-Week Writing Session
When I finally started putting in the hours, I was surprised by how quickly it all came together. There were times when I would start working on my e-book around noon and then work until midnight. I was so focused on getting the words down that I would forget to eat or drink. This, of course, was very bad for me. Sometimes, I would even work through dinner, which was very strange because I was usually the one who was cooking. It’s not like I was eating out all the time or anything. Sometimes, I just needed the peace and quiet to get the words down.
One important thing to keep in mind is that the amount of time it takes to write an e-book is not fixed. It really depends on you. Some people, like me, need a lot of time to write. While others can get by with a few hours here and there. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how much time you are going to give to this project.
So what do you think about how little time it takes to write an e-book? Will two weeks be enough time to write a decent book? Or, will you need more?