• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Nathan Bransford | Writing, Book Editing, Publishing

Helping authors achieve their dreams

  • Blog
  • Writing Advice
  • Agents and Publishing
  • Self-publishing
  • About
  • Get Editing

You tell me: How many hours a week do you spend writing?

April 27, 2018 by Nathan Bransford 10 Comments

Writing a book is a huge undertaking. It takes an immense amount of time and the only real way to finish it to chip away at the task a bit at a time.

So how long do you spend writing a week on average?

For me, I had very little time to write for a long time, but now am able to carve out more time for it. I’m now writing around 15 hours a week, but it doesn’t feel like enough!

What about you?

Need help with your book? I’m available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and consultations! And if you like this post, check out my guide to writing a novel.

Art: Portrait of Stanisław August Poniatowski with an hourglass by Wincenty de Lesseur

Filed Under: The Writing Life

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kia says

    April 27, 2018 at 2:19 pm

    While writing a novel, I aim for three days a week for six hours a day. Bearing in mind that some of this is editing as I go, it equals 18 hours a week.

    In the midst of revisions, this fluctuates: more hours if I’m on deadline, fewer if I’m not. This doesn’t include the time I spend writing for my travel blog, Atlas & Boots. (There is certainly something to be said for keeping your passion a passion and not a job!)

    Reply
  2. Kia says

    April 27, 2018 at 2:21 pm

    Wooah… no more editing capability on comments…

    Reply
  3. Rachel Capps says

    April 27, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    I’m in a different situation to the average writer because I’m disabled, therefore my work is always open in front of me, except I’m at the dining table and life happens around me. One advantage – my butt is always on the seat! lol! I squeeze in snippets of writing/editing when I can. I love weekends because carers aren’t here as long and I get a block of time, not snippets. I perhaps average 3/4 hours on a good day, it just fluctuates depending on distractions.

    Reply
  4. Roger C. Parker says

    April 27, 2018 at 7:19 pm

    Great question, Nathan, great blog!

    My initial reaction was “too many.” But, I digress.

    To answer your question, though, I think you have to separate “writing” from “marketing (blog, newsletter, social media).” In addition, you probably want to separate out client correspondence and time spent planning coaching calls, client critiques, etc.

    In my case, the total would be 40-50 hours a week.
    Writing: (books) 15-20 hours
    Marketing: 20-30 hours
    Client correspondence and planning: 10 hours

    Another factor task that that has to be addressed is–if I do things “right,” the writing for my blog and newsletter actually does double or triple double duty, because it is reused in my book. Or, put another way, the writing for my blog and guest posts is also used for my book.

    Thank you for bringing this important topic to everyone’s attention!
    Roger

    Reply
  5. Adam Heine says

    April 27, 2018 at 7:46 pm

    It varies wildly (such is the life of a freelancer). If I have too much work, I can’t write at all (we try to avoid this). If everything is working as I’ve planned it, I get 10-15 hours per week.

    If I have no paid work at all, then I get a miraculous 30-40 hours per week! But I can almost never focus solely on writing for that long, and I usually end up doing 10-15 hours per week anyway and goofing off the rest of the time….

    So maybe it doesn’t vary as much as I think. Hm.

    Reply
  6. Carolyn McBride says

    April 27, 2018 at 8:19 pm

    I write anywhere from 20-30 hours a week, between 2 different projects.

    Reply
  7. Dan Stout says

    April 28, 2018 at 7:31 am

    I aim for 5 focused hours, four days a week. The ‘focused’ is a big key for me– no internet, phone, etc. Figuring in breaks and lunch, it takes me about 7 hours to get those 5 hours logged.
    Lately I’ve been falling short of that mark, and have been coming in closer to 18 hours/week.

    Reply
  8. Morgyn Star says

    April 28, 2018 at 8:26 am

    7-noon = 4/5 depending on interruptions
    1-3 = 2
    7-9 = 2
    ————
    9 x 7 = 56
    Had no freaking idea!

    Reply
  9. Linda Sawyer Ferrara says

    April 28, 2018 at 8:37 pm

    I write approximately 10-12 hours a week. That’s writing, not reading blogs, researching, etc.

    Reply
  10. Bryan Fagan says

    April 30, 2018 at 9:09 am

    I’m resurrecting a novel that I shelved a few years ago. I’m eliminating all the mistakes I made and creating a much livelier protagonist. A lot of work. I’d about two maybe three hours a day. Rounding up about 15 hours. Like you, I wish I could do more.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About Nathan

Hi, I’m Nathan. I’m the author of How to Write a Novel and the Jacob Wonderbar series, which was published by Penguin. I used to be a literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd. and I’m dedicated to helping authors achieve their dreams. Let me help you with your book!

My blog has everything you need to know to write, edit, and publish a book. Can’t find what you need or want personalized help? Reach out.

Learn more about me

Need Editing?

I'm available for consultations, edits, query critiques, brainstorming, and more.
Learn more!

My Books

How to Write A Novel
Cover of How to Publish a Book by Nathan Bransford
Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapo
Jacob Wonderbar for President of the Universe
Jacob Wonderbar and the Interstellar Time Warp

Subscribe!

Subscribe to the newsletter and get a FREE writing, publishing, or marketing course.

Forums

Need help with your query? Want to talk books? Check out the Nathan Bransford Forums
Footer Logo
Nathan Bransford

Helping authors achieve their dreams

  • Editing Services
  • My Books
  • About Me
  • Blog Directory
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
Twitter Logo Facebook Logo Instagram Logo
As an Amazon and Bookshop Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon and Bookshop links are usually affiliate links.