How realistic is it for a first time writer to convince a publisher to do a series? Is it less likely than getting them to accept a stand alone?
Question for a series
- Thread starter Thomas_Anderson
- Start date
- Status
There is a very similar thread currently playing in ...writing novels I believe. Each book must stand alone in a sense, but can be open to a series. But you might be denied publication beyond book 1 of that series.
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2008
- Messages
- 2,557
- Reaction score
- 571
- Location
- SE Michigan
- Website
- www.bofexler.blogspot.com
Publishers like stand alone books so they don't HAVE to commit to more than one (esp. with an unproven author.)
Publishers LOVE series because they can continually add to the sales-- get brand recognition and all that.
To meet both, write a series that is composed of stand alone books (but have an over-arching thread that plays out in a later book, building over the course of the earlier ones.)
You can write a series book, but book number one HAS to be a stand-alone book. Unless you are an author with, not just a name, but a proven track record of strong sales.
Publishers LOVE series because they can continually add to the sales-- get brand recognition and all that.
To meet both, write a series that is composed of stand alone books (but have an over-arching thread that plays out in a later book, building over the course of the earlier ones.)
You can write a series book, but book number one HAS to be a stand-alone book. Unless you are an author with, not just a name, but a proven track record of strong sales.
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2008
- Messages
- 471
- Reaction score
- 59
- Location
- California
- Website
- talktoyouniverse.blogspot.com
I think the editors like the idea of sequels, but only if the first book can stand on its own. A heavily entangled and lengthy plot that has only a minor resolution at the end of book 1 is a harder sell, because it's a bigger commitment. Of course, if they LOVE what you write, all bets may be off.
'This book is stand alone but has the potential to be a series'
This phrase seems to work in queries. I used it myself, forgot that I had, and then had my editor say : so, this series, what do you want to call it? Cue sudden sequel writing...
Luckily I had the ideas already in mind ( the stand alones with overarching plot) so it wasn't too bad.
As noted above, pubs like series, but the first book has to fly first. Once you've sold the first, start writing the second like billy-o!
This phrase seems to work in queries. I used it myself, forgot that I had, and then had my editor say : so, this series, what do you want to call it? Cue sudden sequel writing...
Luckily I had the ideas already in mind ( the stand alones with overarching plot) so it wasn't too bad.As noted above, pubs like series, but the first book has to fly first. Once you've sold the first, start writing the second like billy-o!
Everyone's given sound advice. It's tempting to want to develop, outline, write, and pitch a six-book fantasy series, but it's close to impossible for a new author to sell one of these.
It appears to be a Catch-22. Series work better for fantasy, standalones sell more easily for first-time authors.
IMO, fantasy standalones, especially those under 100K, most often fall flat when compared to series. The character development, the creation of the world, the epic nature are rarely done as well in standalones as in series. That doesn't mean the series has to be a million words, but one hundred thousand? To me, it doesn't cut it. Again, my opinion. I'm guessing that most will disagree.
However, I've yet to be turned down by a publisher because I've written a series. What I've heard is, "There are too few slots for too many people." Series or not.
IMO, fantasy standalones, especially those under 100K, most often fall flat when compared to series. The character development, the creation of the world, the epic nature are rarely done as well in standalones as in series. That doesn't mean the series has to be a million words, but one hundred thousand? To me, it doesn't cut it. Again, my opinion. I'm guessing that most will disagree.
However, I've yet to be turned down by a publisher because I've written a series. What I've heard is, "There are too few slots for too many people." Series or not.
nconner
Registered
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2005
- Messages
- 41
- Reaction score
- 9
Agree. I used a similar phrase when querying about my urban fantasy. I really intended the book to be first in a series, though--and I queried a publisher (Ace/Roc) that puts out a lot of series. When they bought the book, they offered me a two-book deal. So my experience was the same as Julia's.
I was also a new author submitting through the slush pile. I'd sold one novel, but in a different genre and not yet published, but they didn't know about it. I've also published a bunch of tech books but of course those are irrelevant to fiction publishing.
--Nancy Holzner
Peace, Love, and Murder (Five Star, August 2009)
Darktown (Ace Fantasy, January 2010)
Untitled Darktown sequel (Ace Fantasy, January 2011)
How thick would a 100K word book be? I have no idea how many words are in most of the books I read. Is that like a standard ~300 page paperback?
Depends on font size, typography, leading (space between lines), etc. I would guess that the average 100K novel is between 400 and 425 pages. A 300-pager would probably be more in the 75K range.
- Status