: Re: How long can a writer expect to write before publishing his/her first novel? By "How long" I'm assuming from the time they actually start trying to actively publish to the time they finally

@Looi5811334

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I would encourage you to not compare yourself to other authors. I understand you're just trying to get a ballpark estimate, but in this case, the ballpark is gigantic. The figures aren't really useful.

How long you've been writing, in terms of days, weeks, months and years, is just not a very useful figure for comparison. How much have you been reading? Do you write every day? How much do you write per day? Do you write short stories in addition to novels? Do you get critiqued regularly? What genre are you writing? How much do you edit each page?

Even two people who have the exact same answers to these questions could have wildly different outcomes. You might have a harder time getting your book in front of the right publisher. Your book may have a smaller or larger market, and thus be easier to sell. The variables are endless, and each difference can change the equation by years.

We all get discouraged. It's just what happens in a profession as variable as writing, with people as unstable as writers. Buck up. You're not alone, not by a long shot.

When professional writers are asked about the most important trait for a new writer to develop, almost all of them say the same thing: persistence. Keep writing, editing and submitting. Once you submit something, get to work on the next project. And the next. If you care enough to try to improve and you keep sending things out, you will eventually succeed.

Don't get hung up on numbers. It would be a shame to decide that it will take three years (or somesuch) to get published, and then give up if you don't hit that mark.

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