You Are Not Behind: The Myth of the Publishing Timeline

written by Cherise Kotze

You open Instagram or TikTok and the first thing you see is an author celebrating their twentieth book. You scroll. Another author announces a four-book deal with a publisher. You scroll again, and someone else has just hit bestseller status on their fifth release this year. And you? You are still polishing chapter twelve of your debut novel. You are drafting the outline of your second book. You are trying to figure out what you even want your cover to look like. You might even be trying to convince yourself that this dream is not foolish. Of course, you feel behind.

But here is the truth no one shouts loudly enough: you are not behind. You are building.

Here are four reasons why you are not behind and why the idea of a fixed publishing timeline is largely a myth.

Reason 1: The Illusion of “Fast”

What you see online is what people choose to show. You see the launch graphics, the preorder announcements, the bestseller badges, and the polished milestone posts. What you do not see is the full story behind those moments. You do not see the years they may have failed before publishing their first book. You do not see the abandoned drafts, the rejected queries, or the quiet disappointments. You do not see the credit card debt from early marketing attempts, the cost of professional covers and editors, or the investment required to print physical copies. You do not see the sleepless nights filled with doubt.

Success is visible. Struggle is quiet.

Indie publishing, especially, is not a straight line. One author may release five books in a single year. Another may release one every two years. Both approaches are valid. Both authors are working. Both are building something meaningful.

Speed is not a measurement of your talent. It is not a measurement of your dedication. It is certainly not a measurement of your book’s worth. Fast does not automatically mean sustainable, and slow does not mean failing. Sometimes slow means careful. Sometimes slow means strategic. Sometimes slow means you are laying a foundation that will actually hold.

Reason 2: Comparison Is a Crooked Ruler

When someone celebrates their tenth book in three years, your brain immediately whispers, I should be there too. It asks harder questions. Why am I not good enough to even have two books out by now? Where do they get their ideas from? How do they even have the time? Comparison has a way of turning someone else’s milestone into your personal inadequacy.

But here is the thing: you do not know when they started writing their very first draft. You do not know how many long hours they spent in complete silence, saying those same doubtful words to themselves. You do not know what sacrifices they made or what circumstances made that pace possible. Every author carries a different reality behind their book count.

Maybe they have children. Maybe you do too. Maybe you have a full-time job outside of writing. Maybe your day begins before sunrise and does not slow down until late at night. Maybe you are chasing after a toddler, making dinner, folding laundry, helping your husband with the daily rhythm of running a household. And when that small child finally falls asleep at nine o’clock and the dishes are done, you sit down with tired eyes and open your laptop. That one quiet hour is what you have.

That is not falling behind. That is living a life.

Reason 3: The Win-Win of Indie

Yes, you read that right. Being an indie author is not a loss or a bad thing. Instead, it is a win-win. Why? Because you control everything about your book. You control your writing pace as well as when you release your book or even do your cover reveal. You decide when your book is ready. You have full control, and all the recognition goes to you.

You make changes and edit when you want and how you want. If you want to take a break, go for it. If you need to take a breather, you can do that without asking permission. You are in full control. There are no deadlines, no rush, and especially no anxiety or stress forced on you by someone else’s timeline.

You move when you feel your story is ready to share with the world. You publish your book when your heart is steady, and you revise your chapters or drafts until it feels right according to your standards.

And that freedom? That is not something small. It is powerful.

Reason 4: Redefining “Ahead”

What if “ahead” is not about book count? What if it is about growing in your craft, connecting deeply with your story, and gaining reader loyalty rather than rushing through your books and feeling like they are never ready or never quite the way you want them because you were chasing numbers instead of telling true stories that are your own?

By taking your time, you build emotional resilience. You become confident in your craft, confident in your writing, and consistent in who you are as an author. Growth like that cannot be measured by how many covers you release in a year. It is measured by how much stronger you become with every chapter you write.

Here is something to think about. Someone can have twenty books and still feel empty or unfinished. Someone else can have two books and feel grounded, fulfilled, and proud of what they have created. So, which one is actually ahead?

So, are you really behind? The answer is no.

You are on your own timeline, your own rhythm, and your own path in this journey. Indie publishing is not a race with a finish line. It is a long road that you are allowed to walk at your own pace, with a strong community cheering you on.

The author who is quiet and steady, who keeps going, who learns, who adjusts when needed, and who absolutely refuses to quit. That author is the one who wins.