Why Traditional Publishing Takes Longer
Right now, my team and I are writing books that will be published in 2026.
That’s because a typical timeline for a traditional publisher — from book deal to book on shelves — is 18 to 24 months. Here are five big reasons why books take longer to write and produce when you’re working with a Big Five publisher.
1. Volume.
Most of the big publishers — Penguin Random House (#1), Simon & Schuster (#2), HarperCollins (#3), Hachette Books (#4) and Macmillan (#5) — agree to publish thousands of books every year. Similarly, many literary agents sell dozens of books every year and most editors work on at least 10 books annually.
Your book can be important and worthy, while still being one of many. One of the reasons authors hire me and my team is to have someone who understands this reality and is there to put their book first.
2. Effort.
In addition to your editor, literary agent, and a collaborator like me — there are dozens of people who help produce a traditionally published book. Copyeditors (who handle grammar and spelling), cover designers, interior book designers, production editors (who handle the production and printing), typesetters, staff at the actual print shop. While it takes time to coordinate all these folks, especially at scale, I believe it’s worth it.
Most traditionally published books look great; many self-published books look . . . self-published.
3. Shipping and Distribution.
Most U.S. publishers print overseas, which means that your book has to traverse oceans on a container ship. That takes months and publishers have learned to give themselves wiggle room for drama at the ports, wars breaking out, pirates — even containers of books falling overboard. Getting the books to the United States is simply the first step in distributing your book across the country to distributors and local independent bookstores.
4. Strategy.
In addition to the folks helping to produce your book, publishers also take the time to coordinate their editorial, marketing, publicity, and sales teams around every book they publish. This is a series of meetings that begins about a year before publication and is what helps your book end up in local bookstores and at the airport, get featured on TV and in media, and be shared online by influencers and your own network.
5. Writing the Damn Book.
Let’s not forget that it takes 6 to 12 months to write a great manuscript, including the time your editor needs to read what you’ve written and offer feedback, and for you to revise.
