Series but...

giaaddison · Mar 10, 2008

What if you have written book two before book one?

You can't put "Title - Book Two" since book one isn't around. Do you mention to publishers that it has been planned as book two?

Toothpaste · Mar 10, 2008

You could call it Book One, and label the real Book One as a prequel. (I am assuming this second book is standalone right? I mean there is no way you could sell a second book if you had to have read the first one and the first one didn't exist).

giaaddison · Mar 10, 2008

yes it is a stand alone

Toothpaste · Mar 10, 2008

Then yeah, just label the real Book One, "Prequel"

Stijn Hommes · Mar 10, 2008

Write book one, then send both out.
Advantage: The second book you write will be better than the first one and you have another book to show the agent/pubisher you are capable of writing a series.

A prequel could work too, but personally, I find this solution better.

johnzakour · Mar 11, 2008

Stijn Hommes said:
Write book one, then send both out.
Advantage: The second book you write will be better than the first one and you have another book to show the agent/pubisher you are capable of writing a series.

This is an interesting idea. The trick with this is you have to be patient enough to sit on one book while you write the other.

EriRae · Mar 11, 2008

giaaddison said:
What if you have written book two before book one?

You can't put "Title - Book Two" since book one isn't around. Do you mention to publishers that it has been planned as book two?

I'm having this same issue. I had a lot of backstory in my first novel (it was 186k when I finished the first draft...a LOT of backstory). I cut most of it, and now I think the cut material should be a prequel to book one. I haven't had any luck selling book one, any way, so I'm working on the prequel now.

ETA: among a million other things...

Smiling Ted · Mar 11, 2008

World's first prequel - Paradise Lost.

giaaddison · Mar 11, 2008

thanks everyone

ToddWBush · Mar 11, 2008

I know this isn't a real answer to the question, but I liken this issue to the whole Star Wars debate that is going to perplex those of us who either have newborns, or are in the process of trying to bring a kid into the world: Do you show them 4, 5, and 6 first, and then 1, 2 and 3? Or in order of the story?

My buddy and I debated this for an hour. And I don't even read sci-fi! We decided that 4,5,6,1,2,3 would work, but 1,2,3,4,5,6 would be better because with the first way, the kid would ask why someone different made 1,2, and 3 because they sucked compared to the first three.

~grace~ · Mar 11, 2008

ToddWBush said:
I know this isn't a real answer to the question, but I liken this issue to the whole Star Wars debate that is going to perplex those of us who either have newborns, or are in the process of trying to bring a kid into the world: Do you show them 4, 5, and 6 first, and then 1, 2 and 3? Or in order of the story?

My buddy and I debated this for an hour. And I don't even read sci-fi! We decided that 4,5,6,1,2,3 would work, but 1,2,3,4,5,6 would be better because with the first way, the kid would ask why someone different made 1,2, and 3 because they sucked compared to the first three.

I intend to solve this problem by ignoring the existence of 1,2,3.

BlueLucario · Mar 11, 2008

If you already published book two, then you might as well call book one a prequel. By the way

I don't want to make a new topic on this but. When you write a new series can you switch POVs? From first to third. From Bob's POV to Steve's.

giaaddison · Mar 12, 2008

BlueLucario said:
If you already published book two, then you might as well call book one a prequel. By the way

I don't want to make a new topic on this but. When you write a new series can you switch POVs? From first to third. From Bob's POV to Steve's.

I was planning on switching POV's on the sequel/prequel.

~grace~ · Mar 12, 2008

BlueLucario said:
If you already published book two, then you might as well call book one a prequel. By the way

I don't want to make a new topic on this but. When you write a new series can you switch POVs? From first to third. From Bob's POV to Steve's.

Patricia C. Wrede did this in her Enchanted Forest Chronicles. As one example. I'm sure there are more.

Series but...

giaaddison

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

giaaddison

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard

EriRae

:P

Smiling Ted

Ah-HA!

giaaddison

ToddWBush

~grace~

the good old days

BlueLucario

Blood Elves FTW

giaaddison

~grace~

the good old days