🤔How Many Books Should You Write a Year? (Spoiler: That’s Not the Right Question)

 

Let’s Talk Unrealistic Expectations, Writer Burnout, and Finding Your Own Creative Rhythm

You’ve seen the headlines, right?

“How I Wrote 12 Books in a Year!”
“Successful Authors Publish Every 90 Days!”
“Write Faster or Be Forgotten!”

It’s loud out there. And if you’re just stepping into professional writing—or even if you’re seasoned but self-critical—it’s easy to feel like you’re already behind.

But behind what, exactly? A race no one asked you to run?

🧠 The Trap of the “Book-a-Month” Mentality

When I first stepped into my professional writing era, I devoured every tip I could find. I Googled things like:

  • “How many books should an author write per year?”

  • “How fast do bestselling authors publish?”

  • “How to write a book in 30 days?”

And Google responded with a dizzying, contradictory mess:

  • "Write six books a year."

  • "Focus on just one book a year."

  • "Three books per year is the sweet spot."

  • "One a quarter or bust!"

  • "Slow is bad. Speed is king!"

  • "Fast = sloppy!"

  • "Write at the speed of your soul!"

😵‍💫

I was drowning in mixed advice. Every expert had a different blueprint. Every blog post was yelling something else.

So what did I do?

I picked the worst one—and ran with it.

📉 When Quantity Overshadowed Quality

I told myself, “You’re going to write every book in six weeks or less. No excuses.”

I built intense, rigid deadlines—and every time I missed one, I’d spiral.

That invisible “failure” sat heavy on my chest, and I’d start rushing the next project to make up for it.

But here’s the problem:

Rushed writing rarely results in a satisfying book.

Deep down, I knew it.

Characters felt flat. Plot points lacked depth. Edits became frantic patchwork jobs. By page 65, even I was checking out of the story.

Eventually, I stopped writing entirely—for almost two months.

Not because I didn’t love writing. But because I didn’t recognize my own voice anymore.

I was writing to meet a number instead of making a story.

🧘‍♀️ How I Rebuilt My Writing Process

That creative break—though unexpected—was the reset I needed.

I took a step back and asked myself real questions. Not “How many books should I publish this year?” but:

  • What kind of stories do I want to tell?

  • What pace lets me create something meaningful?

  • How can I be productive without burning out?

Here’s what I landed on:

Deadlines are helpful—until they’re not.

So I started small. One chapter a month.

And wouldn’t you know it? That space allowed me to write two chapters a month instead.

I had time to daydream, plot, rewrite, even enjoy my characters.

From there, I built a system:

  • Three months per book.

  • No guilt if it takes longer.

  • Quality first, always.

This approach gave me the freedom to experiment while staying productive. It became sustainable. And—most importantly—it brought joy back into my work.

💡 Tip: Think in Pages, Not Projects

Here’s a game-changer:

Don’t obsess over how many books you’re writing per year.

Focus on smaller goals that fit your schedule and energy:

  • 500 words per day

  • 5,000 words per week

  • One chapter every two weeks

  • 30 minutes of writing each morning

It’s like compound interest—the progress adds up. And if you fall behind? It’s not a collapse. You’re still in the game.

🚩 Warning Signs You’re Pushing Too Hard

If every scene feels like a deadline you’re failing, watch for these red flags:

  • Skipping edits just to “move on.”

  • No longer enjoying your characters.

  • Feeling anxious when you open your manuscript.

  • Forgetting why the story mattered to you.

  • Stopping reading because you’re too burnt out.

  • Writing feels like punishment, not purpose.

Been there. Don’t want to go back.

🎯 Find Your Creative Pace

Let’s get this straight:

Some writers genuinely write ten books a year—and keep their sanity.

Others spend three years crafting one unforgettable novel.

Both are valid.
Both are “real writers.”
Both are building legacies.

So ask yourself:

What pace allows you to grow and protect your joy?

Because your voice doesn’t get better just because you wrote 100,000 words in a month.

It gets better because you gave those words the space and attention they deserved.

🤔 But What If I’m Not “Fast Enough”?

Repeat after me:

You are not behind. You are on your own timeline.

Publishing pressure is real. Social media only shows the highlight reel.

What you don’t see: trashed drafts, abandoned projects, tears behind the scenes.

You’re not failing. You’re learning.

Your best writing days might be right around the corner—

But you’ll never get there if you burn out before you arrive.

📌 Final Thought: You’re Not a Machine

At the end of the day, we’re not machines—we’re creators.

Stories aren’t widgets on an assembly line.

They’re living, breathing expressions of who we are. And they take time to shape.

So how many books should you write a year?

As many as your soul has space for. No more. No less.

📝 TL;DR

  • Ignore Google’s contradicting writing quotas.

  • Don’t force yourself into a creative schedule that doesn’t suit you.

  • Prioritize quality over quantity every time.

  • Set your own pace based on your life and goals.

  • One unforgettable book is worth more than ten you’re not proud of.

Thanks for reading this honest look at writing burnout and pacing.

Remember: your story deserves your care, not a race.

Keep your joy alive.

Keep writing, on your terms.

💛

— Makitia Thompson

#Mindsindesign #Makitiathompson #Themiduniverse

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