Selling a book that doesn't stand-alone

I'm writing my first novel. (A David Weber-esque space opera.) I realized mid-story that would take approximately 200 000k words to tell, so I've had to split it into a duology.

The problem is that the split means the first book is not self-contained. I've done my best at constructing a break/climax by wrapping up as many plot points as I could. The MMC realizes that the FMC is in love with him, realizes the true nature of his feelings for her, and saves the weapon that could win the war. It ends with his attaining his own command.

Much is resolved, but much more remains.

The war is not over, and the MMC and FMC have not consummated their love. In fact, she isn't even present at the book's end, and I can't make her present without doing irreparable damage to the plot. Nor can I cram an epic war for humanity's survival into a single book.

According to what I've heard, 200 000k horse-choking cinder-block won't be accepted, and books in a series are tough to sell unless they stand alone.

With this in mind, how should I approach an agent?

If I break it into a duology, I'll have two books about 100 000k, but I'll be leaving a significant plot thread unresolved. Is that a viable approach?

I think 80k would be impossible. The volume stands at 106k after a 30k trim. (I'm an as-you-go editor.) I'm nearing the of the second draft and think it will end up at 110k.

Trimming 30k from that AND adding only the essential events in the 2nd half of the story--I can't even conceive of that.

I'll rethink it. Maybe a 125k single vol. is possible.

Subplots, no. The war has apparently been won by the MC's capturing of the secret weapon, even though the last battle needs fighting.

I would be comfortable with the action story as is. The human's have won a huge victory, like the Rebels and the Death Star, but the main romantic plot is up in the air.

I'll try for 120k in one standalone book. 100-120k are the figures I've been reading for sff submissions.

If I can't make it without ruining the plot, I suppose I'll self-pub then write a smaller book.

Something with vampires that feed on teen angst. That'll give me enough cash to thumb my nose at The Man.

Starting my attempt at my slender volume now. File name: "Slash and Burn"

It is gonna be tough.

No one has said it drags. Actually the reverse is true. One reader called it "real rip-snorter" another asked if I could slow it down a tad because it moves too quickly. (Which I did. It was a good lesson in controlling pacing by adding detail.)

I wanted/want speed. I can't deal with the slow unwinding of pace of books like WoT or GoT. They make me want to stitch my eyes shut. My wife bought Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" and I am almost physically scared of the 400k monstrosity. I probably won't read it--not so much because it is 400k--but because it is only the first of a projected 10.

With regards to pacing, this is what happens in the first 100 pages:

(Background: It's the 26th century. The colony ship Cook arrives at the planet of Talune after a ten-year hyperspace voyage. They discover a derelict space ship holding the last survivors of the isirie. The isirie bring word of deadly foe, the foe that destroyed their entire civilization over 400 years ago. The karn.

Together, the isirie and humans settle Talune and a young human man, Will, and an isirie girl, Miri, become best friends.

But what has become of the karn?)


The story begins two years after First Contact. Will and Miri are exploring one of the ruins of her people that dot Talune. I fill in a little background about the isirie and the war and establish that Miri is passionately in love with Will, but he is clueless.

But a storm is rolling in, night is falling, and with night come the grendels, a ravenous, pack-hunting, nocturnal predator native to Talune. So Will's father, Jim, and his friend, Aleksey, are coming out to pick them up by air as planned.

But a karn ship enters the atmosphere and nukes the colony. The EMP causes Jim and Aleksey to crash and strands Will and Miri among rising winds and howling grendels.

The temperature begins to drop precipitously, sending Miri into hypothermic shock. (Isirie do not tolerate cold well.) She tries to tell him of her love for him, but the grendels attack. Will stands over her fighting them off with his pistol. He runs out of bullets, but stands firm, pocket knife in hand, defending the woman he loves to the last. (If only he knew his own heart!)

But three grendels are circling . . .

Jim and Aleksey survive the crash and set out to find them, arriving in the nick of time and shoot the last two. The four companions flee through the forest, hiding from the karn mop-up parties, heading for the caves in the north.

For several days they flee, passing like ghosts and shadows through the primeval forest. Finally they break from the treeline, only to find the corpses of their friends and family, lying slaughtered by the banks of a frigid and nameless stream. As they stand, wrapped in grief, the wind shifts, and soon distant howling fills their ears.

Grendels have caught their scent.

They redouble their pace but discover a karn platoon between them and safety and a karn drone in the air, closing in from above. Will's father shoots it down and stays behind to cover their escape. He knows he will die; he knows he has to die, so the karn will think they have found the shooter, but he only cares that his son will live.

Will promises he will return as soon as Miri is safe.

He starts sniping, but there is too many and all appears lost . . . then several dozen tons of slavering carnivore take the karn in the rear. As they battle, Jim breaks cover and makes a run for some grenades on a fallen karn soldier's belt, but is spotted and shot.

Jim lies dying, a rising tide filling his lungs. Soon all the roars of the grendels have faded and he knows the karn are victorious. His consciousness flickers and then two karn soldiers are standing over him. He reaches for his weapon, but it has been kicked away. It doesn't matter--his son is safe. A karn soldier raises his hand and pulls off it's claw-scarred helmet. The face under it isn't karn. It's isirie. That seems important, but his mind is too cloudy. He holds to the thought that his son is safe as the karn/isirie execute him.


That's 100 pages. It is not a bunch of throat-clearing. Then I pick up the pace.