The most common question we get from aspiring authors is “How long should it take to write my first book?”

Most authors are full of questions, especially about the first book they would like to write. They’re also full of energy, doubts, enthusiasm, hesitation and a whole bunch of conflicting emotions.

That’s what happens when you’re excited about an idea and invested in the outcome. So let’s try to answer some of those common questions so you can get down to writing and worry less about the questions swirling through your mind.

How Long Should It Take to Write your First Book?

Well this is kind of a difficult question to ask, and the answer will undoubtedly leave you scratching your head. The time it will take you to write your first book depends on how long your book is and how much you write each day.

So here’s a better answer. When do you want to publish your book? If you want to publish in three months then it’s going to take you two months to write your book because that’s how long you have. You can also work on the deadline based on how much you can write each day.

For example, if you can write 1000 words a day, about four double-spaced pages, then it’ll take you 70 days to write 70,000 words. See how that works? You get to decide how long it takes to write your book.

How Do You Know If a Book Idea Is Any Good?

You never KNOW if a book idea is a good one. However, you can research your audience and make sure that the information you’re providing is top quality information that will provide value to their lives. You can then market the heck out of that book. Even as you are planning your book, make sure that you have enough content to start writing your book.

And here’s a secret…bad books sell just as well as good books. Of course, you want your name attached to a good book but people don’t always judge “good” and “bad” the same way. If people buy your book and you reach your goals then you’re a success.

What’s the Next Step?

Once you’ve written your book and published it, the next step is to keep marketing it and to get started on your next book. Studies, and profit statements, have shown that you’ll sell more books if you publish more books.

For example, let’s say you publish book 1 and it has decent sales. You publish book 2 and book 1 suddenly increases in sales along with book 2 sales. You write and publish book 3, and then book 1 and 2 sales increase. And the same thing happens when you release your books in new formats.

Release book 1 in print and your eBook sales will increase. It’s all about marketing, exposure, and creating a name and a reputation online. Your first book is the foundation of all your writing aspiration. But once you get the first book out of the way, your second book should be a breeze.