Do You Have a Production Schedule?

I wish I was that organized lol
For the first time this year I gave myself a goal of having 3 books published. I've met that goal. It looks like I'll have 2 more out by the end of the year. I never plan the release out ahead of time. I just give it to my betas when I think it's done, then to my editor. While that's going on I work with my cover designer. Then when it's done with edits and I have a cover I post a release day & cover reveal day on my blog & social media. I never set these dates before hand. I probably should. If I plan on a blog tour I just take whatever date the company I use has available closest to my release day.

I have basic goals for when I'd like books to be done, but there's a lot you can't control when it comes to timing. And as a single person, you don't have others who can fill in if you end up sick or the like. So goals are good, but I wouldn't book any marketing until you're sure everything is set and ready to go.

I'm only releasing 1 a year on my current schedule (9-10 months between), but as I need so much time in between writing it and publishing it, I've had to set deadlines for myself. After the first of the year, my schedule gets hairy.
Simplistic example of currently outlined schedule:
Jan 1st - finish main writing for book 2
Feb 1st - finish editing/revising/proofing
Feb - send for reviews from Kirkus, etc.
Mar 1st - finalize cover art, set up title with Ingram, order proof copies, set up kindle edition for pre-order.
April - finalize and approve hardcover for distribution, get pro reviews back - depending on reviews either begin gleefully writing book 3 or jump off a bridge
May - release book 2

Katrar said:

Good point, Polenth. I think a book cover and editing were the most I would imagine pre-booking, with the rest occurring naturally.

I've wondered how people who get 4+ books out a year, in a presentable, professional condition keep themselves on task. =P

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I don't publish four a year, but I'd say the difference in time isn't down to organisation. It's down to writing speed. Good organisations might help you speed up to an extent (in the sense of making sure you get on with it), but it's not the difference between one book a year and six books. At the start, I think it's best to be open to seeing how fast you work. You'll have a better idea how long it takes you to put out a book after you've done it a few times.

I've worked with production schedules that ran to several pages. It's fun to think of them only containing a few lines of text.

My very prolific editing clients tend to contact me months in advance of a new manuscript to make sure I'll have time for them. They're very organised - as soon as they send me a manuscript, they're starting on another one. So they do have a production schedule of sorts.

I do think that, the more organized a writer can be, the easier the whole process is.

That said, I'm working on my second novel. The first was published August 6th and this whole thing has been a huge learning experience. My situation this time around is different (I don't have an editor lined up) but I'm hoping that, by the time I'm on the third or fourth book, I'll have a bit more of a process that I follow.

As it is, here's my general schedule:
Start work on new book first week of August
Finish the first draft by the middle of September
Edit, edit, edit myself through the rest of September
Out to alpha readers the first of October
Edit some more and out to beta readers middle of October
Work on formatting with the goal of having the book available in paperback and Kindle November 7th.

So far, it's September 19th and I still lack about 12,000 words to complete the first draft. So I don't know that I'm going to hit my goal at this point or not. lol