Is it wise to set a deadline when deciding on publishing a book?

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No, I don’t set a hard deadline for publishing a book. A fixed date can push you to release something before it is ready, and you can’t know how long each task will take. I set a daily time block for each task and watch whether I am making progress every day instead. Below: how I work, what to set up, and the one deadline that is real.

Should I set a deadline to publish my book?

My own experience goes both ways. In self-publishing and in project management, if nothing pushes me forward, I don’t make progress. But a deadline also creates stress, and I don’t know how long different things will take.

So I decide how much time each day I will give to each task I want to move forward. I still know where I’m headed. The point is that I make some progress every day. I’m more interested in whether I’m building momentum than in a date.

It’s like saying I will reach the top of Mount Everest by a particular date and time. That creates a great deal of stress. I would rather focus on the process. If you are asking about timing in general, see when to self publish?

Breaking the process into small steps is how I fit it into a daily block.

How do I plan without a deadline?

Three steps:

1. Define what you are trying to achieve, your end goal.
2. Break it into small chunks.
3. Decide how much time a day you will give to this project. For writing, I use a word count of 500 to 1,000 words a day, or 30 minutes at the least.

When the first draft is done, see the next step after the first draft.

When is a deadline useful?

Some deadlines are real. If you set up an Amazon pre-order, KDP requires the final file at least 72 hours before the release date. A first missed deadline or cancellation is a one-time courtesy. A second one removes pre-order privileges across your catalog for 6 months (KDP pre-orders). For a new author, I’d skip pre-orders anyway, so you don’t have to hit a date.

If you keep putting your book off and never get to it, maybe you do need a deadline, or a person to check in with. That’s the part a coach can help with: a plan and someone to check in with.

How do Amazon pre-orders work?

KDP’s pre-order page says pre-orders are for ebooks only. Paperbacks and hardcovers can’t be pre-ordered, though you can schedule their release dates. You can set a release date up to 18 months ahead for pre-orders created on or after 2-Sep-26 (12 months for earlier ones), and have up to 10 active pre-orders at once. You can change the book details, manuscript and cover until the 72-hour deadline, and you can change the list price at any time. If you lower the price, readers who already pre-ordered pay the lower price. If you miss the deadline, the pre-order is canceled and readers are told (KDP pre-orders).

If you enroll a pre-order in KDP Select, the enrollment term starts on the release date, and free book promotions can only be scheduled after release. A pre-order is a choice, not a requirement. You can publish when the book is ready and skip the date altogether.

When should my paperback be ready if I set a release date?

Paperbacks and hardcovers cannot be pre-ordered, but you can schedule a release date. KDP’s timelines page says the final manuscript must be in at least five days before that date, and the review can take up to 72 hours. So count back from the date and leave days to spare, or skip the date and publish when the book is ready.

Why enjoy the process?

Because without that you burn out, and burnout stops books. This matters most with self-publishing, though it applies elsewhere. The real question is whether you have the internal motivation and drive to get your book on the market. See motivation to create the type of book you’re offering.

Do you work better with a deadline, or does it just create stress? Tell me in the comments. If you want a plan and someone to check in with, book a free 25-minute discovery call.

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