Self publishing is often the quickest way to get your book on the market. With trade publishers you may wait months for a response to a query, outline or manuscript. Once your manuscript has been accepted, it will take a few more months for it to be edited and put through production. In all, a book takes anywhere from 18 months to two years to be published the traditional way. With self-publishing the wait is much shorter. Depending on the route you choose, it can take only a few weeks to have your completed book available for sale.