Once the contract is signed, you are legally bound to meet the deadlines specified in the contract, but no one will be watching over your shoulder to make sure you're getting the work done. You'll have to use your own self-discipline and knowledge about how you work to establish a viable schedule. Some writers prefer to set aside blocks of time; they know from experience that they can write a chapter, say, in six hours. Others prefer to set their schedule in terms of words-per-day; you might decide you can comfortably write 2,500 words each day, for example, so you would need forty working days to write 100,000 words. Still others pace themselves by chapters per week rather than setting daily writing times or word-count goals.

Whatever method you use to set your work schedule, make sure you build in time for relaxation and unforeseen glitches. This won't always be possible, as publishers sometimes need extraordinarily fast delivery dates to meet their printing and distribution schedules. If you have only three months to write a 100,000-word manuscript, you can't count on a lot of down time during that period. However, if you have six months to do the same amount of work, you can adjust your work pace to allow for the occasional day or weekend off.

The Publisher's Deadlines

Publishing houses differ in their policies about deadlines. Some give you only a final delivery date and expect the complete manuscript to be delivered by that date. Others have interim deadlines with a certain percentage of the manuscript due at more or less evenly spaced times before the final due date. From the writer's point of view, there are advantages and disadvantages to both kinds of deadlines.

One final due date gives you the freedom to work at your own pace and in your own style, as long as you meet the deadline. But it can pose perils, especially for writers who have a hard time getting motivated to finish their work until a deadline is imminent. Interim deadlines tend to make you structure your work time more consistently because you know the editor is expecting to see at least some of your material relatively soon; they also force you to break your manuscript into smaller pieces so you can meet those interim deadlines. However, interim deadlines can be perceived as putting more pressure on you, which might interfere with doing your best writing.

Just as you expect your editor to accommodate your circumstances, you should make a good-faith attempt to understand your editor's needs and accommodate them. Don't hold up the process on your end just for the sake of taking more time; even if a time crunch isn't your doing, do your best to minimize its impact on the larger schedule.

Your Own Deadlines

No matter what kind of deadlines your publisher sets, it's good practice to establish your own deadlines. Ideally, your personal deadline should be a few days before the publisher's deadline; that gives you a cushion in case something comes up to prevent you from meeting your own goal. If you have interim deadlines every thirty days, for example, set your personal deadlines at twenty-five day intervals. If you are able to meet your own deadline, you'll have five days to relax before beginning the next round of work, or five extra days to work on the next batch of material. If you don't meet your deadline, for whatever reason, you still have time to meet the publisher's deadline.

Setting your own deadlines can be more critical when the publisher has only given you a final delivery date. It's easy to procrastinate when you don't have to produce your manuscript until six months from now, but giving in to that temptation can put you in a tough spot down the road. If you set your own goal of finishing 20 percent of your manuscript every month, you'll be on a good pace to meet your publisher's deadline and still have plenty of time to polish your prose.