Why a series?

SBibb said:

Yup, ditto. Ended up writing a companion novel for the main series I'm working on for that same reason... and it helped me flesh out the main series.

Probably helps that I would highly consider self-publishing if I can't find a home for the series, so I don't see it as a loss to write the full series first.

Click to expand...

I've never been one to think in series, but several weeks ago I wrote a tiny plot point for my current novel and it exploded into an idea for a companion novel that would be loosely related to the world I'm working in now. I have a feeling if I write that book then I might come up with another loosely-related book. This would be a situation where I would self-publish if I had to when it came down to it because I would (hopefully) have the sales boosts each time I released a new book.

Concerning the advice to not start on the third in a series until you find out if the first will sell:

I won't be taking this advice. If I write something unrelated and it sells, how is that better than if I write the third in a series and then that sells? If that happens, then people may be interested in taking another look at the first and second in the series.

The first in the series works as a stand-alone story. Same with the second. Same with the third. So I'll do the best I can with each book.

Randy Lee said:

Concerning the advice to not start on the third in a series until you find out if the first will sell:

I won't be taking this advice. If I write something unrelated and it sells, how is that better than if I write the third in a series and then that sells? If that happens, then people may be interested in taking another look at the first and second in the series.

The first in the series works as a stand-alone story. Same with the second. Same with the third. So I'll do the best I can with each book.

Click to expand...

I can understand people wanting to write series to get the plot bunnies out of their head, but I don't understand your reasoning that a third book in a series will sell as easily as a standalone. In order to sell the third book in a series, the first book must have sold well; if it doesn't sell well, you won't be given an opportunity to sell the third (or even the second) book, which is why some people would consider it time wasted. On the other hand, a standalone can sell regardless of the sales of other books.

The chances of selling a third book in a series are much lower than selling a standalone or the first book in a series.

Kayley said:

I can understand people wanting to write series to get the plot bunnies out of their head, but I don't understand your reasoning that a third book in a series will sell as easily as a standalone. In order to sell the third book in a series, the first book must have sold well; if it doesn't sell well, you won't be given an opportunity to sell the third (or even the second) book, which is why some people would consider it time wasted. On the other hand, a standalone can sell regardless of the sales of other books.

The chances of selling a third book in a series are much lower than selling a standalone or the first book in a series.

Click to expand...

I think that depends on how the third book is structured. Some second or third books might be stronger and perhaps get the attention of a reader/agent, and still mostly stand alone. I've read several trilogies where I inadvertently picked up the third book, then realized there was a first, and because I wanted to know how the events got to book 3, I went back and picked up the first two.

I imagine at that point it would just depend on how the author pitched it, and how the agent chose to receive it. Because you could be writing a series, then find the first book was mostly back-story, but it let you start exactly where you needed for book 2. You don't write book two, and you never know if that might've been the book to do it for you.

Just my two cents.

Kayley said:

I can understand people wanting to write series to get the plot bunnies out of their head, but I don't understand your reasoning that a third book in a series will sell as easily as a standalone. In order to sell the third book in a series, the first book must have sold well; if it doesn't sell well, you won't be given an opportunity to sell the third (or even the second) book, which is why some people would consider it time wasted. On the other hand, a standalone can sell regardless of the sales of other books.

The chances of selling a third book in a series are much lower than selling a standalone or the first book in a series.

Click to expand...

Not necessarily. The third book of my series happens to be the best seller of the three, by several thousand copies. Each one is a complete story with an overall story arc, but I've been amazed at how many people buy the third book, apparently without having read the first two.

Mr Flibble said:

I would in fact LOVE to write stand alones. But the amount of (fantasy) agents I've heard say they can't sell stand alones....the publishers I've heard say they want series, series, series....

Fantasy readers love series and/or trilogies. LOVE! So that's what I write.

Click to expand...

Whew, then the fact that my first novel really wants a sequel or two isn't a horrible thing.

I agree it would be nice to have the flexibility to do either.

Beachgirl said:

Not necessarily. The third book of my series happens to be the best seller of the three, by several thousand copies. Each one is a complete story with an overall story arc, but I've been amazed at how many people buy the third book, apparently without having read the first two.

Click to expand...

I've heard other writers say this too. In fact, there was some article I remember reading somewhere that said the third in a trilogy was often the one that sold best. This surprises me, as I tend to want to read in order. If I see a book on the shelf, scan the back cover copy, discover it's a sequel or part of a series, I tend to want to find the first one (and sometimes it's not easy to tell on Amazon). But some people evidently do start with later books and not go back to read the earlier ones.

But it explains why publishers for some genres want a book to have series potential.

It may make sense to plan a series because they make it easier to sell the first or newer books. But I can’t write that way. It may sound pretentious, or silly, but the work must inspire me. I can’t write to a market.

In my case the several series in which I’m involved all are about people and situations which are rich. There is room for several books within each universe. Those universes continue to fascinate me. Ideas keep coming to me every few days, and have for years.

I’m not sure I can ever write a book which stays forever standalone. I do have several singles in various stages of development. But I’ve no doubt when each is done, another idea will present itself. And another.

Works for me.

Roxxsmom said:

I've heard other writers say this too. In fact, there was some article I remember reading somewhere that said the third in a trilogy was often the one that sold best. This surprises me, as I tend to want to read in order. If I see a book on the shelf, scan the back cover copy, discover it's a sequel or part of a series, I tend to want to find the first one (and sometimes it's not easy to tell on Amazon). But some people evidently do start with later books and not go back to read the earlier ones.

But it explains why publishers for some genres want a book to have series potential.

Click to expand...

I'm the same way; I'll go back and find the first books and read the series from the beginning. And it's not like its hard to figure out that the third book in my trilogy is the third book, because, well...it says it right on the cover. I have seen a lot of books where it's hard to tell, but I'm stumped as to what motivates someone to knowingly start in the middle or end of a series. To each his/her own, I guess.