My Novel Timeline

One of the questions I am asked most often is about the timeline of writing my book. 

As always, dear readers, please remember that this is only my experience and only shows how things went for Fool Me Twice, my first novel. Other writers may have a completely different timeline, and even my next book may look completely different for me. 

January 8, 2025: I opened a blank document, wrote the first line, then texted my husband telling him I had officially started writing my book. I wrote nearly every single day until I completed my very messy first draft. 

July 15, 2025: I printed my first draft and began editing and revising. I then spent weeks reading and retyping the entire novel, making a lot of changes and improvements. 

August 20, 2025: I sent an updated draft to my editor for the first time. 

September 15, 2025: I heard back from my editor with feedback and began immediately editing and revising again. I read the book through a couple more times and re-wrote it yet again.

October 29, 2025: I sent off my first copies to beta readers, which was the first time I’d let anyone other than my editor (and my sister) see the book. 

November and December 2025: Held multiple meetings with beta readers for feedback and discussion about their thoughts on the book. I collected notes and continued doing more revising, editing, and proceeded to re-read and re-write the book again. 

January 15, 2026: I re-sent new drafts to two separate editors for review, editing, and feedback. 

February 20, 2026: I began working with an excellent team of attorneys for the legal “stuff” that comes with publishing a book. I created a publishing company called Word & Willow Collective, LLC, (which I am excited to share the meaning behind in an upcoming blog post). Over the next few months, I took part in meetings to finalize everything I needed to move forward with the publishing and printing. 

February 23, 2026: I began working with a team to begin production on the audiobook version of Fool Me Twice. 

March 2026: I received the documents and feedback from both editors, so I began the process of – yet again – rewriting the book, making the changes and edits as I did so.

April 23, 2026: I picked fonts for the full text and chapter headers for the print version of the book and approved the format for the e-book.

May 3, 2026: I sent the e-book to early readers to begin gathering reviews for marketing and book release purposes. 

May 5, 2026: The final cover design was approved and delivered to me from my designer.

May 6, 2026: I chose two voice actors for the audiobook, a female for my protagonist, Anna, and a male for my antagonist, Kevin. 

May 13, 2026: The most updated and recent draft was finished, and I began re-reading the novel yet again, this time all the way through without editing so I could read it as a “reader” and not just as the writer with the intention of making changes and editing. I did find a few minor details that needed to be edited, which I was still able to do at this point. After reading, I sent the very final draft of the book to the typesetter to work on the e-book and print files. 

May 18, 2026: I received the completed, edited files and began working on the printing process. 

June 4, 2026: I ordered my first 10 copies of the printed book. Before ordering a lot of copies, I wanted to order a small batch just to make sure everything looked as I fully wanted it to upon arrival. (Side note and funny fact: I was very scared that for some reason it wouldn’t look like a “real” book. Silly, I know, but it was a real fear of mine.)

June 15, 2026: I received my first shipment of printed copies of the book. I waited to open the box until my husband was home and we did it together. I admit that I burst into tears of joy and shock to see my book in actual print form and am happy to report that the book DOES look like a “real” book. 

June 16, 2026: I ordered a large batch of copies to have on hand for the launch, for in-person sales, signings, and other events.

While this is the end of the timeline up to this point, it’s definitely not the end, and I am very excited about the future. Looking ahead, here’s what is to come, though no official dates are set: 

August 2026: Launch party + official release of the physical book and the e-book

August/September 2026: Release of the audiobook

Fall and Winter 2026: Book signings, speaking engagements, book club attendances, journal writing events and anything else that comes up. 

This might be a good time to answer another question that has come up, which is whether I have started working on my next book. And the answer is yes! I’m excited to say that I have, though it’s in the very early stages and a lot could change. In the meantime, I promise to keep up with blogs, journal prompts, and more fun stuff as I continue working on this next project. 

As always, and most importantly, thank you sincerely for the love and support that you have all shown me throughout this process. Writers, when they share, need their readers to be witness to our words, and I am grateful for the community that has surrounded me during my journey. So much love and gratitude to you all.