6 perspectives · Updated · 3 min read
The answers here range from 18 days to five years.
Daniel Pink drafts a book in about half a year at 500 words a day. Charles Duhigg spends about three years per book. Brendon Burchard once wrote one in 18 days. Nir Eyal's first book took about five years.
Their answers cover drafting time, research time, and how to finish.
Drafting a nonfiction book takes these authors about six months to a year. Research and revision usually take longer: Charles Duhigg spends about three years per book, and Nir Eyal's first took five. A daily target or a fixed deadline is what gets the draft done.
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Six authors, among them a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a researcher who has spent his career on persuasion, and the former chief evangelist of Apple. Listen for how each one sets the pace.
Daniel Pink · Author of seven books on motivation, timing, sales, and regret
Listen for: His daily word count.
Charles Duhigg · Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Power of Habit and Supercommunicators
Listen for: Why research takes longer than writing.
Brendon Burchard · High performance coach and author of The Motivation Manifesto
Listen for: Why he writes in 90-day sprints.
Guy Kawasaki · Chief evangelist of Canva and author of APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur
Listen for: Why the typing is not the hard part.
Nir Eyal · Author of Hooked and Indistractable and the writer behind NirAndFar
Listen for: The $10,000 pact that finished his draft.
Robert Cialdini · Founder of the Cialdini Institute; has spent his career researching persuasion
Listen for: Why books run late.
Author of seven books on motivation, timing, sales, and regret
Why themWrote speeches and articles before seven books.
Daniel’s advice: About 70,000 words at 500 a day: half a year of drafting, and the rest doubles it.
For me, a book is about 70,000 words. I write 500 words a day, six days a week, so that's roughly half a year of actual drafting. The rest, research, revision, and listening to my wife read every chapter aloud, easily doubles it.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Power of Habit and Supercommunicators
Why themTurned years of reporting into bestselling books.
Charles’s advice: About three years per book; the writing is the last nine months.
For me, a book takes about three years from the first real reporting to the final manuscript, though the actual writing is usually the last nine months or so. The rest is reading studies, interviewing people, and figuring out what the book is actually about, which always changes.
High performance coach and author of The Motivation Manifesto
Why themSelf-published his first book after agents passed.
Brendon’s advice: 18 days for one book, three years for another. Set a 90-day sprint.
I’ve done one in 18 days at my mom’s sewing table and I’ve had another grind for three years. For me it takes the time I allow, so I make it a 90-day sprint and start by writing the first page today.
Chief evangelist of Canva and author of APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur
Why themSelf-published, then wrote the guide to doing it.
Guy’s advice: Six to twelve months at the keyboard, after a lifetime of material.
I tell people it takes thirty years to write a book: six to twelve months at the keyboard, and the rest is every lesson, failure, and insight that made you worth reading. The typing part is not the hard part.
Author of Hooked and Indistractable and the writer behind NirAndFar
Why themHis agent found him through his blog.
Nir’s advice: Hooked took about five years; protected writing time finishes the draft.
My first book, Hooked, took about five years from research to publication, and Indistractable came together after I made a $10,000 price pact with a friend to finish the draft by January 1st. The real answer, though, is however long it takes you to protect the time: I timeboxed two hours of distraction-free writing six days a week until the manuscript was done.
Founder of the Cialdini Institute; has spent his career researching persuasion
Why themRewrote Influence until it spoke to general readers.
Robert’s advice: He planned one sabbatical year for Pre-Suasion, and it came in several years late.
I once planned to write Pre-Suasion during a single sabbatical year with an uncluttered calendar, and it still came in several years late. The real answer is not how long the writing takes; it's how long it takes to live with the idea until the book is finally ready to let go.
| Who | Their advice |
|---|---|
| Daniel PinkAuthor of seven books on motivation, timing, sales, and regret | About 70,000 words at 500 a day: half a year of drafting, and the rest doubles it. |
| Charles DuhiggPulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Power of Habit and Supercommunicators | About three years per book; the writing is the last nine months. |
| Brendon BurchardHigh performance coach and author of The Motivation Manifesto | 18 days for one book, three years for another. Set a 90-day sprint. |
| Guy KawasakiChief evangelist of Canva and author of APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur | Six to twelve months at the keyboard, after a lifetime of material. |
| Nir EyalAuthor of Hooked and Indistractable and the writer behind NirAndFar | Hooked took about five years; protected writing time finishes the draft. |
| Robert CialdiniFounder of the Cialdini Institute; has spent his career researching persuasion | He planned one sabbatical year for Pre-Suasion, and it came in several years late. |
Set a daily target. Daniel Pink writes 500 words a day, six days a week. Nir Eyal timeboxes two distraction-free hours a day, six days a week.
Expect the draft to take six months to a year. At 500 words a day, Daniel Pink drafts a 70,000-word book in about half a year. Guy Kawasaki says six to twelve months at the keyboard.
Expect the research to take longer. Charles Duhigg spends about three years per book, and the writing is the last nine months or so.
Set a deadline you can't move. Brendon Burchard writes in 90-day sprints. Nir Eyal made a $10,000 pact with a friend to finish his draft by January 1st.
Plan for it to run late. Robert Cialdini planned to write Pre-Suasion in one sabbatical year, and it came in several years late.
They differ on what to count. Daniel Pink and Brendon Burchard count drafting time, from 18 days to half a year. Charles Duhigg and Nir Eyal count from the first research: three to five years. Guy Kawasaki counts the lifetime of experience behind the book.
Daniel Pink writes 500 words a day, six days a week. Nir Eyal sets time instead: two distraction-free hours a day, six days a week.
Daniel Pink's books run about 70,000 words.
The draft, yes: Daniel Pink drafts in about half a year, and Guy Kawasaki says six to twelve months. Robert Cialdini planned one year for Pre-Suasion, and it came in several years late.
Brendon Burchard writes in 90-day sprints and once wrote a book in 18 days.
Set a daily target, give the draft six months to a year, and give the research longer. Then ask the author whose pace fits yours.
We asked this question to authors on Delphi. Each quote is that person's Delphi answering in their own words, built from their own writing, talks, and interviews, and shown as given. Delphi wrote the introduction, the summary, and the steps from their answers. Last checked .